Sent Back in Time Again
by paradiseisland101
Summary: After the Gods and Demigods finally finished the five books that went through Percy's life, the demigods flashed back into the throne room to find a note from Apollo, Hermes and the Fates. Rated T. Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns Percy jackson and the Olymp
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys hope you like the start of the beginning of a new series. . . **

**. . . kind of**

*** edited***

**Okay I edited this because I didn't want the gods to know about what was going on so I reframe it so they didn't know. Also I added a sentence saying that everyone that was reading last time is there now. Sorry if there was confusion.**

* * *

_Then there was a flash of light. . ._

Zeus closed his mouth.

He was shocked to say the least.

In front of him stood seventeen figures.

They were all with him a week ago.

Fifteen he knew but two, a girl and a boy, didn't ring any bells.

Before anyone can say anything a note appeared.

Percy, Zeus knew, picked up the note and read aloud:

_Dear Gods and Demigods,_

_The Fates have decreed that you should read the rest of the Demigods story. To change the future for the better. The demigods world and time will stay the same but we're going to make a new time for this, like another demention. The Demigods can't help the Gods change the world in any way. The Gods must figure it out themself. No changing the future until you read all five of the books. Good luck._

_Apollo, Hermes, and the Fates_

Percy stopped reading.

Everyone stared at the note in surprise.

Poseidon flew forward and embraced his son.

Percy blinked.

"Well I know everyone but those two over there." Apollo said gesturing to the boy and girl who Zeus couldn't place.

"Introduce yourselves." Zeus thundered.( sorry I had to do that)

The girl stepped forward." Hazel Levesque daughter of Pluto."

Hades flickered to pluto than back again.

The boy came forward," Frank Zhang son of Mars."

Ares too flickered to a few seconds.

There was a flash of light and five books fell into Annabeth's hands.

"Well what are they called?" Hermes asked curious.

Annabeth looked at them," Hero's of Olympus The Lost Hero, The son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, The House of Hades, and -"

"Let get started." Apollo grinned interrupting Annabeth.

"Can someone tell us what's going on?" Frank asked.

Percy explained how they read his story and how there were going to read more books. He didn't explain to the gods about how he was kidnapped or how before they were flashed here the Argo II was about to land.

"Okay." Franks said.

"Who wants to read frist?" Athena asked.

"I will." Hazel said kindly.

Annabeth handed her the first book.

Hazel opened it.

It was a start of a new adventure.

* * *

**Hope you liked it**

**Please review **

**I am doing the Lost Hero **

**see you**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hope you like it**

**PLEASE READ ( don't worry it's not bad)**

**Hey sorry I didn't update faster but I started back at school and I hadn't had the time. I just got the time to finish this today. School ends in about a month and a half to two mouths so I'll update faster after that. Also I've been sick the last few days. Again I know but I can blame my mom for that. She totally gave it to me. I'll be updating my other story starting after I finish this chapter. Also I'm not sure if this chapter all that good because I was used to the other story format that, this was weird but after a couple chapters I'll probably get the hang of things. Another also always read my authors notes okay? The tell you what's happening in the series and I don't have to answer the same question many times. Sorry if that sounded rude but I put the answer in an AN and people still kept asking so yeah. Again sorry if that sounded rude. Also I edited the first chapter a bit to make it easier to write this chapter. Sorry for the confusion there.**

**Poll results**

_Do you like Pothena? Just curious._

yes **32 votes**

no **30 votes**

yes but just hints **16 votes**

maybe **11 votes**

yes but they don't get together **8 votes**

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**I put up a new poll**

**83 reviews on just the first chapter! Thanks guys!**

**Enjoy the chapter**

* * *

**" The lost hero,Jason I,"** Hazel read.

Jason groaned.

Percy grinned," You finally can't hear my thoughts."

Annabeth shook her head but smiled all the same.

If only he knew.

**Even before he got electrocuted, Jason was having a rotten day.**

Everyone winced.

**He woke in the backseat of a school bus, not sure where he was, holding hands with a girl he didn't know. ****That wasn't necessarily the rotten part. The girl was cute,**

Jason blushed.

So did Piper.

Thalia smirked at her brother then ruffled his hair.

** but he couldn't figure out who she was or what he was doing there. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to think.**

**A few dozen kids sprawled in the seats in front of him, listening to iPods, talking, or sleeping. They all looked around his age … fifteen? Sixteen? Okay, that was scary. He didn't know his own age.**

"Fifteen." Jason said.

**The bus rumbled along a bumpy road. Out the windows, desert rolled by under a bright blue sky. Jason was pretty sure he didn't live in the desert. He tried to think back … the last thing he remembered …**

Percy and Jason grimaced.

"That was the worst part. Once you got close to remembering it disappeared." Percy said.

Jason nodded.

The gods looked at them curiously while Athena raised an eyebrow.

**The girl squeezed his hand. "Jason, you okay?" **

**She wore faded jeans, hiking boots, and a fleece snowboarding jacket. Her chocolate brown hair was cut choppy and uneven, with thin strands braided down the sides. She wore no makeup like she was trying not to draw attention to herself, but it didn't work. She was seriously pretty. Her eyes seemed to change color like a kaleidoscope—brown, blue, and green.**

Aphrodite smiled at her daughter.

Jason and Piper were to busy blushing.

"Now I know how it feels." Jason said looking at Percy.

Percy grinned and laughed.

**Jason let go of her hand. "Um, I don't—"**

**In the front of the bus, a teacher shouted, "All right, cupcakes, listen up!"**

Everyone raised an eyebrow.

"You know a cupcake sounds good right now." Travis said to Katie.

She rolled her eyes.

Hermes heard his son talk and snapped his fingers.

A cupcake appear on Travis's lap.

"Awesome!"

**The guy was obviously a coach. His baseball cap was pulled low over his hair, so you could just see his beady eyes. He had a wispy goatee and a sour face, like he'd eaten something moldy. His buff arms and chest pushed against a bright orange polo shirt. His nylon workout pants and Nikes were spotless white. A whistle hung from his neck, and a megaphone was clipped to his belt. He would've looked pretty scary if he hadn't been five feet zero.**

Everyone snickered.

Grover raised an eyebrow.

**When he stood up in the aisle, one of the students called, "Stand up, Coach Hedge!"**

"Ohh." Grover said.

"You know him?" Leo asked.

Grover nodded.

Nobody heard the conversation because they were laughing.

**"I heard that!" The coach scanned the bus for the offender. Then his eyes fixed on Jason, and his scowl deepened.**

"He knows you shouldn't be there." Athena said looking at Jason.

Jason nodded to confirm.

**A jolt went down Jason's spine. He was sure the coach knew he didn't belong there. He was going to call Jason out, demand to know what he was doing on the bus—and Jason wouldn't have a clue what to say.**

"That sucks." Apollo said.

Percy and Jason nodded in unison.

**But Coach Hedge looked away and cleared his throat. "We'll arrive in five minutes! Stay with your partner. Don't lose your worksheet. And if any of you precious little cupcakes causes any trouble on this trip, I will personally send you back to campus the hard way."**

**He picked up a baseball bat and made like he was hitting a homer.**

"Gleeson." Grover sighed.

**Jason looked at the girl next to him. "Can he talk to us that way?"**

**She shrugged. "Always does. This is the Wilderness School. 'Where kids are the animals.'"**

**She said it like it was a joke they'd shared before.**

"The mist is a terrible thing." Piper said.

Jason took her hand.

Aphrodite cooed.

( they got together while they were gone)

**"This is some kind of mistake," Jason said. "I'm not supposed to be here."**

**The boy in front of him turned and laughed. "Yeah, right, Jason. We've all been framed! I didn't run away six times. Piper didn't steal a BMW."**

Hermes raised an eyebrow then said," I lie this girl."

Piper blushed," I didn't _steal_ it."

**The girl blushed. "I didn't steal that car, Leo!"**

"I'm mentioned!" Leo grinned.

**"Oh, I forgot, Piper. What was your story? You 'talked' the dealer into lending it to you?" He raised his eyebrows at Jason like, ****_Can you believe her?_**

Piper glared at Leo.

He just grinned.

**Leo looked like a Latino Santa's elf, with curly black hair, pointy ears, a cheerful, babyish face**

Leo rubbed his face unconsciously.

**and a mischievous smile that told you right away this guy should not be trusted around matches or sharp objects. **

"We get the same thing." Travis and Connor said.

( when I first read the book I thought Leo was a son of Hermes at first. Anyone else think that?)

**His long, nimble fingers wouldn't stop moving—drumming on the seat, sweeping his hair behind his ears, fiddling with the buttons of his army fatigue jacket. Either the kid was naturally hyper or he was hopped up on enough sugar and caffeine to give a heart attack to a water buffalo.**

"Naturally hyper." Leo said proudly.

Everyone chuckled.

**"Anyway," Leo said, "I hope you've got your worksheet, 'cause I used mine for spit wads days ago. **

Athena made a face.

**Why are you looking at me like that? Somebody draw on my face again?"**

"Again?" Percy asked smiling.

"Yes again." Leo said.

**"I don't know you," Jason said.**

"Way to be stuble." Thalia said shocking her head.

Jason shrugged.

**Leo gave him a crocodile grin. "Sure. I'm not your best friend. I'm his evil clone."**

**"Leo Valdez!" Coach Hedge yelled from the front. "Problem back there?"**

"Nope." Will said.

**Leo winked at Jason. "Watch this." He turned to the front. "Sorry, Coach! I was having trouble hearing you. Could you use your megaphone, please?"**

Everyone looked at Leo.

He just smiled.

**Coach Hedge grunted like he was pleased to have an excuse. He unclipped the megaphone from his belt and continued giving directions, but his voice came out like Darth Vader's.**

Everyone burst out laughing.

It took a while to calm down . . .

** The kids cracked up. The coach tried again, but this time the megaphone blared: "The cow says moo!"**

. . . then it all started up again.

Leo bowed and Hephaestus looked proud.

**The kids howled, and the coach slammed down the megaphone. "Valdez!"**

Leo grinned mischievously.

**Piper stifled a laugh. "My god, Leo. How did you do that?"**

"My gods." Hera corrected.

**Leo slipped a tiny Phillips head screwdriver from his sleeve. "I'm a special boy."**

"Yes you are." Connor said.

Hephaestus smiled at his son.

( this is where I had suspicions about Leo being a son of Hermes.)

**"Guys, seriously," Jason pleaded. "What am I doing here? Where are we going?"**

**Piper knit her eyebrows. "Jason, are you joking?"**

"No." Jason said.

**"No! I have no idea—"**

**"Aw, yeah, he's joking," Leo said. "He's trying to get me back for that shaving cream on the Jell-O thing, aren't you?"**

"Classic." Hermes grinned along with Apollo.

**Jason stared at him blankly.**

**"No, I think he's serious." Piper tried to take his hand again, but he pulled it away.**

"Sorry Pipes." Jason said.

She just smiled," It's okay."

**"I'm sorry," he said. "I don't—I can't—"**

**"That's it!" Coach Hedge yelled from the front. "The back row has just volunteered to clean up after lunch!"**

"That sucks." Apollo said.

"It's okay we didn't have to do it." Leo said.

Hermes raised an eyebrow.

**The rest of the kids cheered.**

**"There's a shocker," Leo muttered.**

"Did that happen a lot to you guys?" Annabeth asked.

Leo nodded," All the time. . . at least I think it did."

Stupid mist.

**But Piper kept her eyes on Jason, like she couldn't decide whether to be hurt or worried. "Did you hit your head or something? You really don't know who we are?"**

**Jason shrugged helplessly. "It's worse than that. I don't know who ****_I _****am."**

Zeus looked at his son," How did that happen."

Jason looked as his kind of dad," Well ask your wife."

For a long time Zeus never looked that confused.

**The bus dropped them in front of a big red stucco complex like a museum, just sitting in the middle of nowhere. Maybe that's what it was: the National Museum of Nowhere, Jason thought. **

Athena rolled her eyes.

Annabeth was looking at Jason like, _Really?_

**A cold wind blew across the desert. Jason hadn't paid much attention to what he was wearing, but it wasn't nearly warm enough: jeans and sneakers, a purple T-shirt, and a thin black _windbreaker._**

Jason looked down at his was wearing an orange camp half blood T-shirt.

It was conflicting but he kind of liked the camp but he did miss his old camp.

Jason rubbed his head, a headache coming on.

Piper asked," Are you okay?"

Jason looked at her and thought, _camp half blood ain't so bad. . ._

**"So, a crash course for the amnesiac," Leo said, in a helpful tone that made Jason think this was not going to be helpful. **

"Probably." Leo grinned.

**"We go to the 'Wilderness School'"—Leo made air quotes with his fingers. "Which means we're 'bad kids.' Your family, or the court, or whoever, decided you were too much trouble, so they shipped you off to this lovely prison—sorry, 'boarding school'—in Armpit, Nevada,**

Apollo snickered.

Artemis rolled her eyes and murmured ' boys'.

** where you learn valuable nature skills like running ten miles a day through the cacti**

Hades smiled it was one of his favorite punishments.

Nico and Hazel grimaced.

** and weaving daisies into hats! **

Hermes tried not to laugh.

Apollo didn't.

**And for a special treat we go on 'educational' field trips with Coach Hedge, who keeps order with a baseball bat. Is it all coming back to you now?"**

"Nope." Percy said.

**"No." Jason glanced apprehensively at the other kids: maybe twenty guys, half that many girls. None of them looked like hardened criminals, but he wondered what they'd all done to get sentenced to a school for delinquents, and he wondered why he belonged with them.**

Zeus thundered( heh)," My son doesn't deserve to be there. Whoever did this is going to get hit with my bolt."

Percy and Jason shared a look then burst out laughing.

Zeus looked mildly confused.

Just wait Zeus.

**Leo rolled his eyes. "You're really gonna play this out, huh? Okay, so the three of us started here together this semester. We're totally tight. You do everything I say and give me your dessert and do my chores—"**

"Classic." Travis and Connor grinned and high-fived Leo.

"It's inapperate." Hera said.

"Those boys need to eat more cereal." Demeter said.

Everyone groaned.

**"Leo!" Piper snapped.**

**"Fine. Ignore that last part. But we ****_are _****friends. Well, Piper's a little more than your friend, the last few weeks—"**

Aphrodite squealed and everyone instinctively covered their ears.

**"Leo, stop it!" Piper's face turned red. Jason could feel his face burning too. He thought he'd remember if he'd been going out with a girl like Piper.**

Piper and Jason blushed.

Percy grinned, now they had to deal with people hearing there thoughts.

**"He's got amnesia or something," Piper said. "We've got to tell somebody."**

**Leo scoffed. "Who, Coach Hedge? He'd try to fix Jason by whacking him upside the head."**

Grover sighed," Probably."

**The coach was at the front of the group, barking orders and blowing his whistle to keep the kids in line; but every so often he'd glance back at Jason and scowl.**

"He defiantly knows you're not suppose to be there." Athena said.

**"Leo, Jason needs help," Piper insisted. "He's got a concussion or—"**

"The mist." Poseidon said.

**"Yo, Piper." One of the other guys dropped back to join them as the group was heading into the museum. The new guy wedged himself between Jason and Piper and knocked Leo down.**

Hephaestus' beard crackled.

** "Don't talk to these bottom-feeders. You're my partner, remember?"**

"He sounds like a jerk." Percy said.

"He was more than a jerk." Leo said mysteriously.

**The new guy had dark hair cut Superman style, a deep tan, and teeth so white they should've come with a warning label: do not stare directly at teeth. permanent blindness may occur. **

Apollo grinned and blinded everyone.

"Apollo stop right now!" Zeus yelled.

Apollo closed his mouth but was silently laughing.

**He wore a Dallas Cowboys jersey, Western jeans and boots, and he smiled like he was God's gift to juvenile delinquent girls everywhere. Jason hated him instantly.**

"Why?" Percy teased.

Jason stared at him not getting the implications of what Percy said.

**"Go away, Dylan," Piper grumbled. "I didn't ask to work with you."**

**"Ah, that's no way to be. This is your lucky day!"**

Artemis shook her head," Arrogant men."

** Dylan hooked his arm through hers and dragged her through the museum entrance. Piper shot one last look over her shoulder like, 9****_11_****.**

EVeryone chuckled.

**Leo got up and brushed himself off. "I hate that guy." He offered Jason his arm, like they should go skipping inside together. "'I'm Dylan. I'm so cool, I want to date myself, but I can't figure out how! You want to date me instead? You're so lucky!'"**

"Leo your weird." Thalia said.

**"Leo," Jason said, "you're weird."**

Thalia glanced at Jason then punched his shoulder.

**"Yeah, you tell me that a lot." Leo grinned. "But if you don't remember me, that means I can reuse all my old jokes. Come on!"**

"Oh no the old jokes." Will said dramatically.

Leo pouted then grinned," I never told you those."

Will stopped smiling and his eyes went wide.

**Jason figured that if this was his best friend, his life must be pretty messed up; but he followed Leo into the museum.**

"Gee thanks Jason." Leo said.

Jason shrugged, "It's true."

**They walked through the building, stopping here and there for Coach Hedge to lecture them with his megaphone, which alternately made him sound like a Sith Lord or blared out random comments like "The pig says oink."**

"I still think that was an awesome idea." Apollo grinned along with Hermes.

Leo got up and fake bowed.

**Leo kept pulling out nuts, bolts, and pipe cleaners from the pockets of his army jacket and putting them together, like he had to keep his hands busy at all times.**

Leo smiled at his dad.

Hephaestus smiled back.

( Second hint about Leo's dad)

**Jason was too distracted to pay much attention to the exhibits, but they were about the Grand Canyon and the Hualapai tribe, which owned the museum.**

Athena got a sparkle in her eye and so did Annabeth.

**Some girls kept looking over at Piper and Dylan and snickering. Jason figured these girls were the popular clique. They wore matching jeans and pink tops and enough makeup for a Halloween party****.**

Aphrodite shrieked," They know nothing about makeup!"

( I'm not the girl to wear it so yeah. . . )

**One of them said, "Hey, Piper, does your tribe run this place? Do you get in free if you do a rain dance?"**

"Some people are so rude." Demeter sniffed," They need cereal."

Hestia looked at the fire sadly as the others groaned for another time.

**The other girls laughed. Even Piper's so-called partner Dylan suppressed a smile. Piper's snowboarding jacket sleeves hid her hands, but Jason got the feeling she was clench****ing her fists.**

"I was." Piper admitted.

"If only they knew about your dad." Jason said.

Piper gave him a small smile.

**"My dad's Cherokee," she said. "Not Hualapai. 'Course, you'd need a few brain cells to know the difference, Isabel."**

"Oh burn!" Travis said.

**Isabel widened her eyes in mock surprise, so that she looked like an owl with a makeup addiction. **

Athena raised an eyebrow at Jason.

**"Oh, sorry! Was your ****_mom _****in this tribe? Oh, that's right. You never knew your mom."**

"Love you honey." Aphrodite said.

"Love you too." Piper said.

**Piper charged her, but before a fight could start, Coach Hedge barked, "Enough back there! Set a good example or I'll break out my baseball bat!"**

"Would he really . . . you know what nevermind." Poseidon said.

**The group shuffled on to the next exhibit, but the girls kept calling out little comments to Piper.**

**"Good to be back on the rez?" one asked in a sweet voice.**

Hestia shook her head.

**"Dad's probably too drunk to work," another said with fake sympathy. "That's why she turned klepto."**

Piper clenched her fist.

Jason grabbed her hand and rubbed it gently open.

She looked up a gave him a smile.

**Piper ignored them, but Jason was ready to punch them himself. He might not remember Piper, or even who he was, b****ut he knew he hated mean kids.**

"Same." Percy said.

"We figured that out reading your story." Hades said dryly.

Percy shrugged.

**Leo caught his arm. "Be cool. Piper doesn't like us fighting her battles. Besides, if those girls found out the truth about her dad, they'd be all bowing down to her and screaming, 'We're not worthy!'"**

Piper smiled sadly.

She loved her dad but sometimes. . .

**"Why? What about her dad?"**

**Leo laughed in disbelief. "You're not kidding? You really don't remember that your girlfriend's dad—"**

"He doesn't remember anything." Athena said.

**"Look, I wish I did, but I don't even remember ****_her_****, much less her dad."**

**Leo whistled. "Whatever. We ****_have _****to talk when we get back to the dorm."**

" Didn't have that talk." Leo said to Jason.

Jason nodded.

**They reached the far end of the exhibit hall, where some big glass doors led out to a terrace.**

**"All right, cupcakes," Coach Hedge announced. "You are about to see the Grand Canyon. Try not to break it.**

"How can you break the Grand Canyon?" Apollo asked confused.

Artemis sighed loudly.

** The skywalk can hold the weight of seventy jumbo jets, so you featherweights should be safe out there. If possible, try to avoid pushing each other over the edge, as that would cause me extra paperwork."**

"Considerate." Katie said.

**The coach opened the doors, and they all stepped outside. The Grand Canyon spread before them, live and in person. Extending over the edge was a horseshoe-shaped walkway made of glass, so you could see right through it.**

Thalia would have shivered but just bit her lip.

She wasn't that afraid of heights but it still got to her.

**"Man," Leo said. "That's pretty wicked."**

**Jason had to agree. Despite his amnesia and his feeling that he didn't belong there, he couldn't help being impressed.**

Annabeth nodded," It was amazingly designed. . . "

About five minutes later the resumed the book.

**The canyon was bigger and wider than you could appreciate from a picture. They were up so high that birds circled below their feet. Five hundred feet down, a river snaked along the canyon floor. Banks of storm clouds had moved overhead while they'd been inside, casting shadows like angry faces across the cliffs. As far as Jason could see in any direction, red and gray ravines cut through the desert like some crazy god had taken a knife to it.**

The gods looked at each other.

**Jason got a piercing pain behind his eyes.**

**_Crazy gods _****... Where had he come up with that idea?**

"You're a son of a god." Apollo said helpfully.

** He felt like he'd gotten close to something important—something he should know about. He also got the unmistakable feeling he was in danger.**

"Instincts. You know something wasn't right." Athena said.

Jason nodded.

**"You all right?" Leo asked. "You're not going to throw up over the side, are you? 'Cause I should've brought my camera."**

"Eww, Leo that's so gross." Katie said.

Leo grinned.

**Jason grabbed the railing. He was shivering and sweaty, but it had nothing to do with heights. He blinked, and the pain behind his eyes subsided.**

**"I'm fine," he managed. "Just a headache."**

"It was probably because you had a memory surface." Athena said thoughtfully.

Jason nodded.

**Thunder rumbled overhead. A cold wind almost knocked him sideways.**

Zeus stared at the book suspiciously.

**"This can't be safe." Leo squinted at the clouds. "Storm's right over us, but it's clear all the way around. Weird, huh?"**

"That is weird." Frank said.

He was so quiet everyone jumped.

Frank blushed.

**Jason looked up and saw Leo was right. A dark circle of clouds had parked itself over the skywalk, but the rest of the sky in every direction was perfectly clear. Jason had a bad feeling about that.**

"That's good you sence something bad." Zeus said.

**"All right, cupcakes!" Coach Hedge yelled. He frowned at the storm like it bothered him too. "We may have to cut this short, so get to work! Remember, complete sentences!"**

Athena nodded in approval.

**The storm rumbled, and Jason's head began to hurt again. Not knowing why he did it, he reached into his jeans pocket and brought out a coin—a circle of gold the size of a half-dollar, but thicker and more uneven. Stamped on one side was a picture of a battle-ax. On the other was some guy's face wreathed in laurels. The inscription said something like ivlivs.**

Jason smiled sadly," I miss that coin."

Piper put a hand on his shoulder.

**"Dang, is that gold?" Leo asked. "You been holding out on me!"**

**Jason put the coin away, wondering how he'd come to have it, and why he had the feeling he was going to need it soon.**

"I did." Jason said.

**"It's nothing," he said. "Just a coin."**

"Right, just a ordanary coin." Apollo said.

**Leo shrugged. Maybe his mind had to keep moving as much as his hands. "Come on," he said. "Dare you to spit over the edge."**

Aphrodite crinkled her nose.

While the Stolls, Hermes, Apollo, and Leo grinned.

**They didn't try very hard on the worksheet. For one thing, Jason was too distracted by the storm and his own mixed-up feelings. For another thing, he didn't have any idea how to "name three sedimentary strata you observe" or "describe two examples of erosion."**

"That's easy." Annabeth said.

"Wise girl." Percy muttered.

Annabeth glared at him.

**Leo was no help. He was too busy building a helicopter out of pipe cleaners.**

"That's not going to work. . . well for an average kid that is." Hermes said.

**"Check it out." He launched the copter. Jason figured it would plummet, but the pipe-cleaner blades actually spun. The little copter made it halfway across the canyon before it lost momentum and spiraled into the void.**

"I could do better," Leo muttered.

"That's cool." Percy said.

**"How'd you do that?" Jason asked.**

**Leo shrugged. "Would've been cooler if I had some rubber bands."**

"You never know what rubber bands can do." Leo said.

**"Seriously," Jason said, "are we friends?"**

"Yep." Jason said.

**"Last I checked."**

**"You sure? What was the first day we met? What did we talk about?"**

"That's going to be hard to remember if the mist is involved." Annabeth said.

**"It was …" Leo frowned. "I don't recall exactly. I'm ADHD, man. You can't expect me to remember details."**

"See." Annabeth said.

Percy leaned into her and kissed her cheek," Yeah wise girl."

**"But I don't remember you ****_at all_****. I don't remember anyone here. What if—"**

**"You're right and everyone else is wrong?" Leo asked. "You think you just appeared here this morning, and we've all got fake memories of you?"**

"Funny how that was true." Connor said.

**A little voice in Jason's head said, ****_That's exactly what I think._**

"You'd be right." Annabeth said.

As she this she ran her hand through Percy's hair gently.

**But it sounded crazy. Everybody here took him for granted. Everyone acted like he was a normal part of the class—except for Coach Hedge.**

"Because he knows." Hazel said.

Jason nodded at her to confirm.

**"Take the worksheet." Jason handed Leo the paper. "I'll be right back."**

**Before Leo could protest, Jason headed across the skywalk.**

"Where are you going?" Will asked.

"You'll see." Jason said," Wow just think about how much Percy said that."

Percy didn't respond because his eyes were closed on Annabeth's lap while she still ran her hand through his hair.

**Their school group had the place to themselves. Maybe it was too early in the day for tourists, or maybe the weird weather had scared them off.**

"Maybe both." Piper said.

** The Wilderness School kids had spread out in pairs across the skywalk. Most were joking around or talking. Some of the guys were dropping pennies over the side. About fifty feet away, Piper was trying to fill out her worksheet, but her stupid partner Dylan was hitting on her, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving her that blinding white smile. She kept pushing him away, and when she saw Jason she gave him a look like, ****_Throttle this guy for me._**

"I would have." Jason said.

Piper smiled.

**Jason motioned for her to hang on. He walked up to Coach Hedge, who was leaning on his baseball bat, studying the storm clouds.**

"He probably senses something too." Grover bleated out then nibbled on a coke can.

"Dude when you did you get that?" Travis asked.

**"Did you do this?" the coach asked him.**

The gods blinked.

**Jason took a step back. "Do what?" It sounded like the coach had just asked if he'd made the thunderstorm.**

"I can." Jason shrugged," But it wasn't me this time."

**Coach Hedge glared at him, his beady little eyes glinting under the brim of his cap. "Don't play games with me, kid. What are you doing here, and why are you messing up my job?"**

"That's not going to help." Hazel said.

**"You mean...you ****_don't _****know me?" Jason said. "I'm not one of your students?"**

**Hedge snorted. "Never seen you before today."**

"That proves Jason's theory from earlier." Hermes said.

**Jason was so relieved he almost wanted to cry. At least he wasn't going insane. He ****_was _****in the wrong place. "Look, sir, I don't know how I got here. I just woke up on the school bus. All I know is I'm not supposed to be here."**

"I'm glad you were." Piper said.

Jason gripped her hand.

**"Got that right." Hedge's gruff voice dropped to a murmur, like he was sharing a secret. "You got a powerful way with the Mist, kid, if you can make all these people think they know you; but you can't fool me. I've been smelling monster for days now. **

Athena raised an eyebrow and went over the options.

**I knew we had an infiltrator, but you don't smell like a monster. You smell like a half-blood. So—who are you, and where'd you come from?"**

"How is he suppose to know if he can't remember?" Frank asked.

Everyone shrugged.

**Most of what the coach said didn't make sense, but Jason decided to answer honestly. "I don't know who I am. I don't have any memories. You've got to help me."**

**Coach Hedge studied his face like was trying to read Jason's thoughts.**

"No just your emotions." Grover said nonchalantly.

**"Great," Hedge muttered. "You're being truthful."**

"Yep." Jason said.

**"Of course I am! And what was all that about monsters and half-bloods? Are those code words or something?"**

**Hedge narrowed his eyes. Part of Jason wondered if the guy was just nuts. But the other part knew better.**

"Actually he _is_ nuts." Leo said.

Jason and Piper nodded in unison.

**"Look, kid," Hedge said, "I don't know who you are. I just know ****_what _****you are, and it means trouble. Now I got to protect three of you rather than two. Are you the special package? Is that it?"**

"Special package . . . " Athena murmured.

**"What are you talking about?"**

**Hedge looked at the storm. The clouds were getting thicker and darker, hovering right over the skywalk.**

"That's not good." Poseidon said.

**"This morning," Hedge said, "I got a message from camp. They said an extraction team is on the way. They're coming to pick up a special package, but they wouldn't give me details.**

( is the package really Jason?)

** I thought to myself, Fine. The two I'm watching are pretty powerful, older than most. I know they're being stalked. I can smell a monster in the group. I figure that's why the camp is suddenly frantic to pick them up. But then ****_you _****pop up out of nowhere. So, are you the special package?"**

( okay nevermind. )

**The pain behind Jason's eyes got worse than ever.**

"That sucked." Jason said.

Percy snored as if in agreement.

**_Half-bloods. Camp._**

"Camp half-blood rules!" Travis and Connor cheered.

**_ Monsters. _****He still didn't know what Hedge was talking about, but the words gave him a massive brain freeze—like his mind was trying to access information that should've been there but wasn't.**

"That's exactly what's happening." Hephaestus grumbled as he put out the mini fire o that erupted on his chin.

**He stumbled, and Coach Hedge caught him. For a short guy, the coach had hands like steel. "Whoa, there, cupcake. You say you got no memories, huh? Fine. I'll just have to watch you, too, until the team gets here. We'll let the director figure things out."**

"Coach actually sounded caring." Leo snickered.

**"What director?" Jason said. "What camp?"**

**"Just sit tight. Reinforcements should be here soon. Hopefully nothing happens before—"**

"And . . . he just jinxed it." Hermes said.

**Lightning crackled overhead. The wind picked up with a vengeance. Worksheets flew into the Grand Canyon, and the entire bridge shuddered. Kids screamed, stumbling and grabbing the rails.**

Everyone pulled in a breath.

**"I had to say something," Hedge grumbled. He bellowed into his megaphone: "Everyone inside! The cow says moo! Off the skywalk!"**

"That would be funny but not in this situation." Nico said.

**"I thought you said this thing was stable!" Jason shouted over the wind.**

**"Under normal circumstances," Hedge agreed, "which these aren't. Come on!"**

"Suspense." Apollo said dramatically.

"The chapter's done." Hazel said.

"I'll read." Frank said to Hazel. She handed him the book.

Frank turned to the next page.

* * *

**Again sorry about the slow update**

**please review**

**see you later**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope you liked it**

**And I hope its okay**

**I'm still getting use to the set up so it might be a while before it gets good**

**Only two chapters in and 146 reviews. . . **

**Thanks guys! It helps a lot to read those**

**Question: If I finish the lost hero will I be the only one on FF?**

**I'm not sure**

**Anyway I wanted to tell you that my other story 'learning about Percy' is on hold until this story is well on its way.**

**Sorry but I would be better that way**

**Don't worry though I will be writing for that story again after I get about halfway through the lost hero**

**I will be putting up one more chapter for that story before I stop for a while**

**That story will have an author's note that will explain the situation better.**

**Sorry for not updating sooner but I had a lot of test to study for and then I had a lot to do that wasn't revolved around school and I just was really busy these past couple of weeks.**

**I promise I'll try to update sooner but have a really busy schedule for the next two weeks so who knows?**

**I hope this make up for the long absence.**

Poll results** which do you like more?**

Percy Jackson 102 votes

HOH 33 votes

Other 1 vote

I Put up a new poll so please vote!

**Enjoy the chapter though**

* * *

**"Jason II"** Frank read.

Jason groaned_, not again._

Percy grinned.

**The storm churned into a miniature hurricane.**

**Funnel clouds snaked toward the skywalk like the tendrils of a monster jellyfish.**

"Ominous." Apollo said dramatically.

**Kids screamed and ran for the building. The wind snatched away their notebooks, jackets, hats, and backpacks. Jason skidded across the slick floor.**

"Well everything just went crazy in about five seconds." Hermes said.

Everyone agreed.

**Leo lost his balance and almost toppled over the railing, but Jason grabbed his jacket and pulled him back.**

"Thanks man." Leo said to Jason.

"No problem." Jason said.

**"Thanks, man!" Leo yelled.**

"No need to repeat yourself." Travis grinned at Leo.

**"Go, go, go!" said Coach Hedge.**

**Piper and Dylan were holding the doors open, herding the other kids inside. Piper's snowboarding jacket was flapping wildly, her dark hair all in her face. Jason thought she must've been freezing, but she looked calm and confident—telling the others it would be okay, encouraging them to keep moving.**

"Good keeping calm in those situations is always the wise thing." Athena said.

"Thanks." Piper said.

**Jason, Leo, and Coach Hedge ran toward them, but it was like running through quicksand. The wind seemed to fight them, pushing them back.**

Zeus eyebrows scrunched together; thinking.

**Dylan and Piper pushed one more kid inside, then lost their grip on the doors. They slammed shut, closing off the skywalk.**

"That would be impossible to open."Percy said.

(Have you ever tried to open or close a door in like 100 mile per hour winds? I have. . . not fun that.)

"I would know." Piper grumbled.

**Piper tugged at the handles. Inside, the kids pounded on the glass, but the doors seemed to be stuck.**

"Well that's great." Will said sarcastically.

**"Dylan, help!" Piper shouted.**

**Dylan just stood there with an idiotic grin, his Cowboys jersey rippling in the wind, like he was suddenly enjoying the storm.**

Everyone groaned.

"He's the monster isn't he." Nico said.

Jason nodded.

Some face palmed.

**"Sorry, Piper," he said. "I'm done helping."**

**He flicked his wrist, and Piper flew backward, slamming into the doors and sliding to the skywalk deck.**

Aphrodite's eyes narrowed.

Some scooted away from her.

Aphrodite can be scary. . . .

**"Piper!" Jason tried to charge forward, but the wind was against him, and Coach Hedge pushed him back.**

"Why did he do that? Piper was in trouble." Hazel asked.

"He didn't know what Jason was, I mean who his father was." Percy added when he got a look from Jason.

**"Coach," Jason said, "let me go!"**

**"Jason, Leo, stay behind me," the coach ordered. "This is my fight. I should've known that was our monster."**

"Oh Leo's going to be confused by that." Nico said.

Leo pouted.

Grover shook his head," Gleeson and his fights. . . "

**"What?" Leo demanded. **

Nico grinned at Leo.

"Be quiet Nico."

**A rogue worksheet slapped him in the face, but he swatted it away. "What monster?"**

Everyone laughed.

**The coach's cap blew off, and sticking up above his curly hair were two bumps—like the knots cartoon characters get when they're bonked on the head.**

Apollo laughed as Grover blushed bright red.

**Coach Hedge lifted his baseball bat—but it wasn't a regular bat anymore. Somehow it had changed into a crudely shaped tree-branch club, with twigs and leaves still attached.**

"That must have been a surprise to you guys." Frank said pausing from his reading.

Piper nodded," I was weird."

**Dylan gave him that psycho happy smile.**

"For a second I thought he said psycho hippie smile." Travis said.

(When I first read that sentence I thought it said that too... after I reread it I cracked up)

Everyone stared at him like he grew a_ fourth_ head.

Katie thought _why do I like him?_

Even Connor for a moment then he burst out laughing.

**"Oh, come on, _Coach_. Let the boy attack me! After all, you're getting too old for this. Isn't that why they retired you to this stupid school? I've been on your team the entire season, and you didn't even know. You're losing your nose, grandpa."**

Hermes and Apollo winced.

"Now he'll be mad." Grover said.

Will nodded along with the others.

Ares eyes were gleaming at the thought of a fight brewing.

**The coach made an angry sound like an animal bleating. "That's it, cupcake. You're going down."**

"Get him!." Ares yelled.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

**"You think you can protect three half-bloods at once, old man?" Dylan laughed. "Good luck."**

"He can protect demigods just fine." Grover said.

"Sometimes he's to battle hungry though." Annabeth said wisely.

Grover gave her a look that said 'I agree'.

**Dylan pointed at Leo, **

Hephaestus shifted in his throne.

**and a funnel cloud materialized around him. Leo flew off the skywalk like he'd been tossed. **

Some people gasped. . .

**Somehow he managed to twist in midair, and slammed sideways into the canyon wall. **

Hephaestus let out a breath for the moment then sucked one in when he realized his son was still in danger.

"There's a moment were I would love to be Jason." Leo said jokingly.

Jason didn't know if that was an insult or not.

**He skidded, clawing furiously for any handhold. Finally he grabbed a thin ledge about fifty feet below the skywalk and hung there by his fingertips.**

"That was a close call." Apollo said knowingly.

"Tell me about it." Leo said sarcastically.

Apollo pouted.

**"Help!" he yelled up at them. "Rope, please? Bungee cord? Something?"**

"Yes something would be great." Hephaestus said roughly.

"Why didn't you just make something?" Connor asked.

Everyone looked at him.

"I was barely holding onto a small ledge. . . ." Leo said.

Connor stared at him.

Katie sighed.

**Coach Hedge cursed and tossed Jason his club. "I don't know who you are, kid, but I hope you're good. Keep that _thing _busy"—he stabbed a thumb at Dylan—"while I get Leo."**

"Gee thanks." Leo said sarcastically.

**"Get him how?" Jason demanded. "You going to fly?"**

Grover burst out laughing.

Jason smiled sheepishly.

"Nope he's not he's just going to you know take off his pants and climb down there." Percy said.

Apollo and Hermes snickered.

**"Not fly. Climb." Hedge kicked off his shoes, and Jason almost had a coronary. The coach didn't have any feet. He had hooves—goat's hooves. Which meant those things on his head, Jason realized, weren't bumps. They were horns.**

"I had the same reaction." Percy said thoughtfully.

"Well I had no memories at all so . . . "Jason said.

**"You're a faun," Jason said.**

"What's that?" Chris asked.

"It's the roman name for a Satyr. "Annabeth said.

"Oh." Chris said in understanding.

**"Satyr!"**

**Hedge snapped. "Fauns are Roman. But we'll talk about that later."**

"He just explained it Annie." Thalia said.

Annabeth blushed," Don't call me Annie. . . "

**Hedge leaped over the railing. He sailed toward the canyon wall and hit hooves first. **

"Super goat to the rescue!" Apollo sang.

Artemis slapped her face.

She made up with her brother but sometimes she still wonders . . .

**He bounded down the cliff with impossible agility, finding footholds no bigger than postage stamps, dodging whirlwinds that tried to attack him as he picked his way toward Leo.**

"I still can't get over him saving me." Leo said making a face.

Everyone laughed.

**"Isn't that cute!" Dylan turned toward Jason. "Now it's your turn, boy."**

"Here comes a fight." Clarisse said sitting next to Chris.

**Jason threw the club.**

"Why did you do that?" Nico asked.

Jason shrugged," I don't know I just did."

**It seemed useless with the winds so strong, but the club flew right at Dylan, even curving when he tried to dodge, and smacked him on the head so hard he fell to his knees.**

"Yeah!" The Stolls, Apollo and Hermes cheered.

Ares smirked.

**Piper wasn't as dazed as she appeared. **

Aphrodite smiled at her daughter.

**Her fingers closed around the club when it rolled next to her, but before she could use it, Dylan rose. Blood — _golden _blood—trickled from his forehead.**

"Well that's not good." Will said.

**"Nice try, boy." He glared at Jason. "But you'll have to do better."**

Zeus' eye twitched slightly.

**The skywalk shuddered.**

Demeter said," Those architects needed more cereal."

Every single person in the room groaned.

Hades took a deep breath; _don't knock her over the head . . . _

**Hairline fractures appeared in the glass. Inside the museum, kids stopped banging on the doors. They backed away, watching in terror.**

"It must have been a sight." Poseidon said.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

**Dylan's body dissolved into smoke, as if his molecules were coming unglued. He had the same face, the same brilliant white smile,**

Apollo grinned blinding everybody for a minute.

"Apollo stop that!" Artemis yelled rubbing her eyes.

"You know you love me sis." Apollo smiled wider.

**but his whole form was suddenly composed of swirling black vapor, his eyes like electrical sparks in a living storm cloud. He sprouted black smoky wings and rose above the skywalk. If angels could be evil, Jason decided, they would look exactly like this.**

"Ventus." Frank said.

Everyone that knew what that was nodded.

The others looked at them confused.

**"You're a _ventus_," Jason said, though he had no idea how he knew that word. "A storm spirit."**

"Oh!" Guess who said that. . . . . . .

**Dylan's laugh sounded like a tornado tearing off a roof. **

"weird way to put it." Hestia said gently.

**"I'm glad I waited, demigod. Leo and Piper I've known about for weeks. Could've killed them at any time. **

Aphrodite and Hephaestus glared.

"Well that sure cheers me up." Leo said sarcastically.

**But my mistress said a third was coming—someone special. She'll reward me greatly for your death!"**

Zeus growled.

Jason and Thalia turned to him.

He cleared his throat loudly.

The siblings of the thunder-god rolled their eyes.

"Who's his mistress?" Athena asked to herself.

She had a feeling that this was important.

Hera was thinking. . . .

**Two more funnel clouds touched down on either side of Dylan and turned into _venti_—ghostly young men with smoky wings and eyes that flickered with lightning.**

"Well that's just great." Percy said.

Piper nodded grimly.

**Piper stayed down, pretending to be dazed, her hand still gripping the club. Her face was pale, but she gave Jason a determined look, and he understood the message:**

**_Keep their attention. I'll brain them from behind._**

"I like this girl." Ares grinned.

Clarisse closed her eyes.

Sometime just sometimes. . . .

Piper didn't know if she should blush or look appalled.

**Cute, smart, _and _violent. Jason wished he remembered having her as a girlfriend.**

Piper settled for a blushed when she heard that sentence.

Beside her Jason was blushing a dark shade of red.

Aphrodite, forgetting for the moment that her daughter was in danger, squealed.

This successed making the couple in question blush a darker shade of red.

Some in the room were snickering.

Leo didn't even snicker he just burst out laughing.

**He clenched his fists and got ready to charge, but he never got a chance.**

"What!" Was yelled around the throne room.

Jason blinked in surprise.

**Dylan raised his hand, arcs of electricity running between his fingers, and blasted Jason in the chest. Bang!**

Zeus smirked.

He knew that it wouldn't affect Jason.

**Jason found himself flat on his back. His mouth tasted like burning aluminum foil.**

"Ew," Katie said.

Jason nodded.

** He lifted his head and saw that his clothes were smoking. **

"Time to go shopping!" Aphrodite squealed.

Jason shook his head so quickly he almost got whip leash.

The demigods( and some gods) Were laughing at Jason's reaction.

Aphrodite pursed her lips.

**The lightning bolt had gone straight though his body and blasted off his left shoe.**

Annabeth grimaced.

Percy sensing his girlfriends distress gripped her hand for reassurance.

Annabeth turned to him and snuggled into his neck.

Percy smiled gently and stroked her curls.

Aphrodite smiled so big. . .

** His toes were black with soot. The storm spirits were laughing. **

Hazel fanned her face in an old fashioned but cute way.

Leo glanced over and saw Frank looking at him.

Leo quickly grinned.

**The winds raged. Piper was screaming defiantly, but it all sounded tinny and far away.**

Jason gripped Piper's hand.

**Out of the corner of his eye, Jason saw Coach Hedge climbing the cliff with Leo on his back. **

Leo blushed.

Some snickered at the shade of pink that developed.

**Piper was on her feet, desperately swinging the club to fend off the two extra storm spirits, but they were just toying with her.**

"I hate when monsters do that." Percy said still playing with Annabeth's blonde curls.

"You would know kelp breath. "Thalia said.

The room's occupants all nodded at the same time then glanced at each other.

** The club went right through their bodies like they weren't there. And Dylan, a dark and winged tornado with eyes, loomed over Jason.**

"Probably to see his damage." Clarisse said.

Everyone glanced her way.

"Why?" Clarisse asked.

Nobody answered her not even her boyfriend.

**"Stop," Jason croaked. He rose unsteadily to his feet, and he wasn't sure who was more surprised: him, or the storm spirits.**

"I think it was pretty equal." Piper said.

Jason nodded," I agree."

**"How are you alive?" Dylan's form flickered. "That was enough lightning to kill twenty men!"**

"Wow!" The Stolls said in amazement.

" Son of Jup- Zeus." Jason said fixing his mixup.

Zeus' form flicked for little more than a half a second.

The name thing was still confusing.

**"My turn," Jason said.**

"Here comes kick but son of Zeus." Leo said.

Jason gave him a 'what the dude' look.

**He reached in his pocket and pulled out the gold coin.**

Jason looked sad.

He missed that coin.

** He let his instincts take over, flipping the coin in the air like he'd done it a thousand times. **

"Probably did." Apollo said knowingly.

**He caught it in his palm, and suddenly he was holding a sword—a wickedly sharp double-edged weapon.**

"Cool but not as cool as riptide." Percy said uncapping his sword.

"Seaweed brain." Annabeth said.

Percy just grinned at her.

Aphrodite squealed.

**The ridged grip fit his fingers perfectly, and the whole thing was gold—hilt, handle, and blade.**

Travis and Connor glanced at each other at the word 'gold'.

**Dylan snarled and backed up. He looked at his two comrades and yelled, "Well? Kill him!"**

Some of the room snorted.

Some looked worried.

Some just stared at their girlfriends or the ceiling.

**The other storm spirits didn't look happy with that order, but they flew at Jason, their fingers crackling with electricity.**

"Get them!" Ares grinned and stood up from his chair.

"Be quiet Ares." Hera commanded.

Ares glared at her but sat back down.

The demigods stared at her well except for Annabeth for many reasons.

**Jason swung at the first spirit. His blade passed through it, and the creature's smoky form disintegrated.**

"One of the times I wish I had Zeus' powers." Percy said.

Zeus smiled smugly.

Hades and Poseidon rolled their eyes at their over dramatic little brother.

** The second spirit let loose a bolt of lightning, but Jason's blade absorbed the charge. Jason stepped in—one quick thrust, and the second storm spirit dissolved into gold powder.**

Everyone cheered.

**Dylan wailed in outrage. He looked down as if expecting his comrades to re-form, but their gold dust remains dispersed in the wind. "Impossible! Who _are _you, half-blood?"**

"You know just your average son of the god of the sky. . . " Percy said nonchalantly.

**Piper was so stunned she dropped her club.**

"I bet that really was a shock." Will said.

Piper nodded.

** "Jason, how … ?"**

**Then Coach Hedge leaped back onto the skywalk and dumped Leo like a sack of flour.**

"Gee thanks Coach." Leo said sarcastically.

Everyone laughed.

**"Spirits, fear me!" Hedge bellowed, flexing his short arms. Then he looked around and realized there was only Dylan.**

Apollo laughed," Just imagine his face!"

Everyone was silent for a moment than burst out laughing along with the god of the music.

**"Curse it, boy!" he snapped at Jason. "Didn't you leave some for me? I like a challenge!"**

"I that is really illogical." Athena said.

"You'll get used to it." Annabeth said.

Athena raised an eyebrow but her daughter resumed listening to the book.

**Leo got to his feet, breathing hard. He looked completely humiliated, his hands bleeding from clawing at the rocks. **

Hermes winced," Ouch."

"Nah it wasn't that bad." Leo said.

**"Yo, Coach Supergoat, **

Everyone snorted at that.

**whatever you are—I just fell down the freaking Grand Canyon! Stop asking for challenges!"**

Leo looked around.

He spotted the new girl that he only met a while ago.

She was staring at him and when he looked her way she would look at the book.

**Dylan hissed at them, but Jason could see fear in his eyes.**

"Good." Thalia said.

**"You have no idea how many enemies you've awakened, half-bloods. My mistress will destroy _all _demigods. This war you _cannot _win."**

"But we will try." Percy said glaring at the book.

Frank shifted slightly.

He knew that Percy wasn't glaring at him bt it still was unsettling.

**Above them, the storm exploded into a full-force gale. Cracks expanded in the skywalk. Sheets of rain poured down, and Jason had to crouch to keep his balance.**

"Whoa!" Some in the room said.

"Imagine what it was like for the students trapped in the museum." Hermes said.

Everyone thought about that for a moment.

They totally forgot about the students that were trapped inside.

**A hole opened in the clouds—a swirling vortex of black and silver.**

**"The mistress calls me back!" Dylan shouted with glee. "And you, demigod, will come with me!"**

"What!" Thalia yelled.

"It's fine." Jason reassured.

**He lunged at Jason, but Piper tackled the monster from behind. **

"Yeah go Piper!" Travis and Connor cheered.

Piper blushed.

**Even though he was made of smoke, Piper somehow managed to connect. Both of them went sprawling. Leo, Jason, and the coach surged forward to help, but the spirit screamed with rage. **

"Uh-oh." Will said.

**He let loose a torrent that knocked them all backward. Jason and Coach Hedge landed on their butts. ****Jason's sword skidded across the glass. **

"That sucks." Nico said.

**Leo hit the back of his head and curled on his side, dazed and groaning. **

Everyone gave a sympathetic, "Ohhhh!"

**Piper got the worst of it. She was thrown off Dylan's back and hit the railing, tumbling over the side until she was hanging by one hand over the abyss.**

Aphrodite gasped.

Everyone's eyes widened.

**Jason started toward her, but Dylan screamed, "I'll settle for this one!"**

"Oh come on!" Percy exclaimed.

**He grabbed Leo's arm and began to rise, towing a half-conscious Leo below him. The storm spun faster, pulling them upward like a vacuum cleaner.**

Everyone's eyes widened.

**"Help!" Piper yelled. "Somebody!"**

"Please help her!" Aphrodite screeched.

She didn't even notice that her daughter was alive and sitting in front of her.

**Then she slipped, screaming as she fell.**

"NO!" Was screamed and the glass on Olympus shattered.

Everyone either stared at Piper or the book.

They had to know what was going to happen next.

**"Jason, go!" Hedge yelled. "Save her!"**

**The coach launched himself at the spirit with some serious goat fu**

Some couldn't help but laugh at that even in the shocking event.

**—lashing out with his hooves, knocking Leo free from the spirit's grasp. Leo dropped safely to the floor, **

Some in the room let out breath they didn't know they were holding.

**but Dylan grappled the coach's arms instead. Hedge tried to head-butt him, then kicked him and called him a cupcake.**

"Oh Gleeson." Grover shook his hand and smiled.

( You know the new prophecy? Well what if Gleeson closes the door on the T. . . side instead of the main characters. For some reason I can't get that idea out of my head . . . Has anyone thought of that or is it just me?)

** They rose into the air, gaining speed.**

"Well there they go." Travis said bluntly.

Katie smacked his shoulder.

"What?" He asked in confusion.

Katie rolled her eyes.

**Coach Hedge shouted down once more, "Save her! I got this!" Then the satyr and the storm spirit spiraled into the clouds and disappeared.**

Everyone eyes widened.

Aphrodite had her head buried in her husbands chest.

He awkwardly patted her back.

**Save her? Jason thought. _She's gone!_**

"Well with that thinking. . . . " Percy trailed off.

"Shut up kelpy." Thalia said.

"Kelpy?" Percy asked.

The demigods couldn't help laughing at the expression on Percy's face.

**But again his instincts won. He ran to the railing, thinking, **

**I****_'m a lunatic, _****and jumped over the side.**

"Whoa!" Half the room yelled.

Thalia took a beep breath.

**Jason wasn't scared of heights. He was scared of being smashed against the canyon floor five hundred feet below. **

Everyone grimaced.

**He ****figured he hadn't accomplished anything except for dying along with Piper, but he tucked in his arms and **plummeted headfirst.

Athena nodded," He has to fly faster down the canyon to reach Piper."

** The sides of the canyon raced past like a film on fastforward.**

"Nice imagery." Leo murmured.

**His face felt like it was peeling off.**

"It does have that effect. . . "Zeus trailed off when everyone stared at him.

**In a heartbeat, he caught up with Piper, who was flailing wildly. He tackled her waist and closed his eyes, waiting for death. **

"He's not so bad." Percy said nonchalantly.

Everyone stared at him except for Hazel and Frank.

**Piper screamed. The wind whistled in Jason's ears. He wondered what dying would feel like. He was thinking, probably not so good. **

Hades shrugged when people looked at him for an answer to that question.

**He wished somehow they could never hit bottom.**

**Suddenly the wind died. Piper's scream turned into a strangled gasp. Jason thought they must be dead, but he hadn't felt any impact.**

Everyone raised an eyebrow.

**"J-J-Jason," Piper managed.**

**He opened his eyes. They weren't falling. They were floating in midair, a hundred feet above the river.**

Some eyes popped out of their owners heads.

"That's. . . .So cool!" Percy said fist bumping Jason.

Some were looking at Thalia who said," Please continue reading Frank."

**He hugged Piper tight, and she repositioned herself so she was hugging him too. They were nose to nose. Her heart beat so hard, Jason could feel it through her clothes.**

"Oh the feeling. . . "Connor trailed off.

Katie gasped and smacked him_, hard._

_( did you get that reference?) _

Aphrodite, who recovered from the scare of her daughter falling squealed.

meanwhile on Olympus' streets the Olympian janitor, who just fixed all the glass, sighed in releif .

Then there was a periceing squeal and all the glass broke for second time that day.

The janitor yelled in frustration.

**Her breath smelled like cinnamon. **

Jason blushed read along with piper.

Apollo and Hermes wiggled their eyebrows at them.

Everyone snickered.

**She said, "How did you—"**

**"I didn't," he said. "I think I would know if I could fly…"**

"You don't know anything about your past." Athena said wisely.

Jason nodded grimly though his face was still pink.

**But then he thought: _I don't even know who I am._**

"That really does suck." Percy said to Jason.

Jason nodded.

The Gods looked confused at this conversation.

So far they only knew that Jason forgot who he was.

Did Percy. . . .

**He imagined going up. Piper yelped as they shot a few feet higher.**

"That's still awesome." Leo said.

** They weren't exactly floating, Jason decided. He could feel pressure under his feet like they were balancing at the top of a geyser.**

"Huh weird way to describe it." Zeus said thinking.

**"The air is supporting us," he said.**

**"Well, tell it to support us more! Get us out of here!"**

"I like her idea." Poseidon said.

Zeus raised an elegant eyebrow smugly.

Poseidon didn't notice.

**Jason looked down. The easiest thing would be to sink gently to the canyon floor. Then he looked up. The rain had stopped. The storm clouds didn't seem as bad, but they were still rumbling and flashing. There was no guarantee the spirits were gone for good. **

"It's always wise to think of multiple solutions." Athena said approvingly.

"You would know." Poseidon grinned.

Athena scowled at him.

**He had no idea what had happened to Coach Hedge. And he'd left Leo up there, barely conscious.**

"Thanks for thinking about me, man." Leo said to Jason.

"Your welcome." Jason said grinning.

**"We have to help them," Piper said, as if reading his thoughts. "Can you—"**

**"Let's see." Jason thought _Up_, and instantly they shot skyward.**

"Well that worked." Apollo said.

Artemis shook her head.

_Brothers. . ._

**The fact he was riding the winds might've been cool under different circumstances, but he was too much in shock.**

"Well you didn't even know your name then you find out you can fly. That can be shocking." Percy said.

"That's the smartest thing you said lately Seaweed brain.

Percy pouted then said," I try."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

** As soon as they landed on the skywalk, they ran to Leo.**

"That's good." Hephaestus said.

Leo grinned at his father.

**Piper turned Leo over, and he groaned. **

Some winced.

**His army coat was soaked from the rain. His curly hair glittered gold from rolling around in monster dust. **

"Now that I think about that. . . " Leo said in an appalled face.

Everyone laughed.

**But at least he wasn't dead.**

**"Stupid … ugly … goat," he muttered.**

"Who . . . saved . . . you life." Piper said jokingly.

Leo pouted.

**"Where did he go?" Piper asked.**

**Leo pointed straight up. "Never came down. Please tell me he didn't actually save my life."**

"Twice." Jason said.

**"Twice," Jason said.**

Jason blushed as everyone laughed.

**Leo groaned even louder. "What happened? The tornado guy, the gold sword … I hit my head. That's it, right? I'm hallucinating?"**

"Maybe. . ." Hermes said dramatically.

**Jason had forgotten about the sword. He walked over to where it was lying and picked it up. The blade was well balanced.**

"All should be." Clarisse said," Easier to attack and. . ." She trailed off.

** On a hunch he flipped it. Midspin, the sword shrank back into a coin and landed in his palm.**

"I still think that coin is cool." Travis said.

Connor looked at Travis.

They grinned.

**"Yep," Leo said. "Definitely hallucinating."**

Everyone snorted.

**Piper shivered in her rain-soaked clothes. "Jason, those things—"**

**"Venti," he said. "Storm spirits."**

Everyone looked at the book then at Jason then back.

**"Okay. You acted like … like you'd seen them before. Who _are _you?"**

"That's what he was trying to tell you." Nico said.

**He shook his head. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. I don't know."**

Nico shifted.

**The storm dissipated. The other kids from the Wilderness School were staring out the glass doors in horror. Security guards were working on the locks now, but they didn't seem to be having any luck.**

"I totally forgot about the other students. "Hermes said.

Everyone had to agree.

Too much happened to remember them.

**"Coach Hedge said he had to protect three people," Jason remembered. "I think he meant us."**

"No duh." Thalia said playfully to Jason.

Jason smiled at her.

She was so glad that he was back.

**"And that thing Dylan turned into …" Piper shuddered. "God, I can't believe it was _hitting _on me.**

Some looked appalled. . .

. . . others snorted at the comment.

** He called us... what, _demigods_?"**

"For a reason too. "Demeter said.

**Leo lay on his back, staring at the sky. He didn't seem anxious to get up. **

" My head still hurt then," Leo explained.

**"Don't know what _demi _means," he said. "But I'm not feeling too godly. You guys feeling godly?"**

"Oh Leo." Everyone laughed.

The gods stared at Leo like he was a strange thing on the wall.

**There was a brittle sound like dry twigs snapping, and the cracks in the skywalk began to widen.**

"You better get out of their." Posedion said.

"Well Jason can fly. . . "Hermes said.

"But can he carry both of them?" Athena asked.

Leo, Piper and Jason shared a glance.

**"We need to get off this thing," Jason said. "Maybe if we—"**

**"Ohhh-kay," Leo interrupted. "Look up there and tell me if those are flying horses."**

"They are." Annabeth said mysteriously.

**At first Jason thought Leo _had _hit his head too hard.**

"Thanks man. " Leo said sarcastically.

Jason smiled sheepishly.

**Then he saw a dark shape descending from the east—too slow for a plane, too large for a bird.**

"It's a bird." Travis said.

"It's a plane." Hermes said grinning.

"No it's a flying squrell."Connor said.

Everyone gave him the 'what the' look.

Connor just grinned.

**As it got closer he could see a pair of winged animals—gray, four-legged, exactly like horses—except each one had a twenty-foot wingspan. And they were pulling a brightly painted box with two wheels: a chariot.**

"The chariot to the rescue!" The Stolls yelled out.

Some jumped.

**"Reinforcements," he said. "Hedge told me an extraction squad was coming for us."**

**"Extraction squad?" Leo struggled to his feet. "That sounds painful."**

Everyone laughed.

Leo shrugged and grinned.

**"And where are they extracting us _to_?" Piper asked.**

"You know just a certain camp. . . " Will trailed off.

**Jason watched as the chariot landed on the far end of the skywalk. The flying horses tucked in their wings and cantered nervously across the glass, as if they sensed it was near breaking.**

"They are smart." Percy said thoughtfully.

** Two teenagers stood in the chariot—a tall blond girl maybe a little older than Jason, **

Everyone turned to Annabeth and she blushed.

Percy squeezed her hand.

**and a bulky dude with a shaved head and a face like a pile of bricks. **

"He likes rainbows." Leo said.

Some stared at him while others laughed or snickered.

**They both wore jeans and orange T-shirts, with shields tossed over their backs. The girl leaped off before the chariot had even finished moving. She pulled a knife and ran toward Jason's group while the bulky dude was reining in the horses.**

"Here comes the crazy blonde. "Leo said grinning.

Annabeth glared at him.

**"Where is he?" the girl demanded. Her gray eyes were fierce and a little startling.**

"And beautiful." Percy said.

Aphrodite cooed.

**"Where's who?" Jason asked.**

**She frowned like his answer was unacceptable. Then she turned to Leo and Piper. "What about Gleeson? Where is your protector, Gleeson Hedge?"**

"Ha ha . . , Gleeson." Travis and Connor laughed.

**The coach's first name was Gleeson? Jason might've laughed if the morning hadn't been quite so weird and scary. Gleeson Hedge: football coach, goat man, protector of demigods. Sure. Why not?**

"I had the same reaction the first time." Percy said thoughtfully.

Jason looked at him.

**Leo cleared his throat. "He got taken by some … tornado things."**

"Tornado things." Athena said in disbelief.

All around her the room was filled with laughter.

**"Venti," Jason said. "Storm spirits."**

"How many times had he said that so far? "Hermes asked.

"I think it was three times." Travis said.

"Or was it two?" Connor asked.

They shrugged at the same time.

**The blond girl arched an eyebrow. "You mean _anemoi thuellai_? That's the Greek term.**

"Is it me or is that more hard to understind?" Jason said.

Everyone stared at him.

"Nevermind." Jason said waving to Frank to read on.

** Who are you, and what happened?"**

"First don't know. Second not sure." Chris said.

**Jason did his best to explain, though it was hard to meet those intense gray eyes. **

"Are they that bad? " Annabeth asked.

"Their perfect." Percy promised.

Aphrodite screamed.

A yell of frustration could be heard echoing on the streets.

**About halfway through the story, the other guy from the chariot came over. He stood there glaring at them, his arms crossed. He had a tattoo of a rainbow on his biceps, which seemed a little unusual.**

Some snickered.

"Told you he liked rainbows." Leo grinned.

**When Jason had finished his story, the blond girl didn't look satisfied. "No, no, no! She _told _me he would be here. She told me if I came here, I'd find the answer."**

Percy squeezed his girlfriends hand.

She gave him a smile.

**"Annabeth," the bald guy grunted. "Check it out." He pointed at Jason's feet.**

"Why did he do that?" Dionysus grumbled so nobody would hear.

Though some did and they smirked at the wine magazine.

**Jason hadn't thought much about it, but he was still missing his left shoe, which had been blown off by the lightning. His bare foot felt okay, but it looked like a lump of charcoal.**

"Ew!" Aphrodite said.

**"The guy with one shoe," said the bald dude. "He's the answer."**

"Wait what?" Was heard around the room.

**"No, Butch," the girl insisted. "He can't be. I was tricked." She glared at the sky as though it had done something wrong. "What do you want from me?" she screamed. "What have you done with him?"**

Everyone's eyes widened.

Athena gasped and looked at her daughter.

She nodded grimly.

Athena took a breath.

Percy pulled his girl onto his lap.

**The skywalk shuddered, and the horses whinnied urgently.**

"Uh-oh. . . "

**"Annabeth," said the bald dude, Butch, "we gotta leave. Let's get these three to camp and figure it out there. Those storm spirits might come back."**

"Yeah get out of there." Poseidon said.

**She fumed for a moment. "Fine." She fixed Jason with a resentful look. "We'll settle this later."**

**She turned on her heel and marched toward the chariot.**

"Well that was rude." Aphrodite sniffed.

"It was for a reason." Annabeth mumbled.

Percy gripped her hand.

**Piper shook her head. "What's _her _problem? What's going on?"**

**"Seriously," Leo agreed.**

Everyone leaned forward.

**"We have to get you out of here," Butch said. "I'll explain on the way."**

**"I'm not going anywhere with _her_." Jason gestured toward the blonde. "She looks like she wants to kill me."**

"She won't. . . maybe." Percy said.

Annabeth smacked him gently on the shoulder.

**Butch hesitated. "Annabeth's okay. You gotta cut her some slack. She had a vision telling her to come here, to find a guy with one shoe. That was supposed to be the answer to her problem."**

"What problem?" Hermes asked.

**"What problem?" Piper asked.**

Hermes got up and walked over to Piper.

"High five." He said to a stunned Piper.

She raised her hand slowly but gave Hermes the high-five.

**"She's been looking for one of our campers, who's been missing three days," Butch said. "She's going out of her mind with worry. She hoped he'd be here."**

Percy took a breath.

He hating hearing about Annabeth worrying. about him

**"Who?" Jason asked.**

**"Her boyfriend," Butch said. "A guy named Percy Jackson."**

Everyone gasped.

"What!" Poseidon screeched.

Percy went up to him and said reassuringly, " It's okay. All will be explained soon."

Poseidon took a breath but nodded.

"Done." Frank said shyly.

"I'll read next." Poseidon said.

Frank handed over the book.

* * *

**Sorry for the slow update.**

**I put up a new poll so please vote.**

**Please review**

**Until next time ; )**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hope you like it**

** I had to put this up**

**After this chapter I will update for 'learning about Percy' **

**After that update I'll be doing this story full-time until I get done or half way with the lost hero.**

**It would be easier to focus on one story to get it done.**

**As you know I did the lost hero to please some viewers and didn't know if I should at first **

**so I decided to get this story done fast so I can have fun with the SOn and MoA**

**sorry**

**Also sorry if this chapter isn't that good.**

**I'm having a horrible writers block at the moment.**

**Enjoy the chapter**

* * *

"**Piper III**" Poseidon read to the room.

Piper groaned.

Jason smiled at her.

Percy just smirked.

"We get to hear from my daughters point of view!" Aphrodite squealed.

Piper blushed.

(I was so tempted to put the janitor joke here. . . )

**After a morning of storm spirit's , goat men, and flying boyfriends,**

"Sounds like a weird romance novel." Percy said.

Everyone stared at him and he blushed.

"How would you know that? "Nico asked grinning.

Percy kept his mouth shut.

**Piper should've been losing her mind. Instead, all she felt was dread.**

"Wait . . . why?" Katie asked.

Piper grimaced.

Jason gripped her hand and gave her a smile.

She looked up and smiled back.

**It's starting, she thought. Just like the dream said.**

"Dream?" Athena asked.

Piper just nodded grimly.

Athena started calculating the possible options.

Leo gave Piper a sympatric look.

He was there after all.

**She stood in back of the chariot with Leo and Jason, while the bald guy, Butch, **

Leo snorted," The bald guy."

Everyone either shook their heads or laughed.

**handled the reins, and the blond girl, Annabeth, adjusted a bronze navigation device. **

Leo grinned and pulled out wires, bronze and other items and started to put them together.

Hephaestus looked at his son and smiled.

**They rose over the Grand Canyon and headed east, icy wind ripping straight through Piper's jacket. Behind them, more storm clouds were gathering.**

"Here comes the ominous storm spirits." Travis said in a creepy voice.

Katie rolled her eyes.

**The chariot lurched and bumped. It had no seat belts and the back was wide open, so Piper wondered if Jason would catch her again if she fell. **

"Probably." Apollo said knowingly.

**That had been the most disturbing part of the morning—not that Jason could fly, **

"Really?" Will asked.

Piper nodded looking away from Jason.

**but that he'd held her in his arms and yet didn't know who she was.**

"Well when you put it that way. . . "Hermes said.

Everyone raised an eyebrow.

Hermes blushed.

Jason looked at Piper and squeezed her hand.

**All semester she'd worked on a relationship, trying to get Jason to notice her as more than a friend. Finally she'd gotten the big dope to kiss her.**

Aphrodite cooed.

"Dope?" Jason asked.

Leo snickered.

**The last few weeks had been the best of her life. And then, three nights ago, the dream had ruined everything—that horrible voice, giving her horrible news.**

"What dream!" said yelled out by almost everyone in the room.

**She hadn't told anyone about it, not even Jason.**

"I could have helped." Jason whispered.

"You weren't even there." Piper pointed out.

Jason grimace.

**Now she didn't even have _him_. It was like someone had wiped his memory,**

"Well someone did." Leo said.

Piper gave him a look.

He put his hands up in surrender.

**and she was stuck in the worst "do over" of all time. **

"I'm sorry." Jason said.

"It's okay it wasn't your fault." Piper said then Glared at the queen of the gods.

"I really hate her." Annabeth said to Percy.

Percy grinned.

**She wanted to scream. Jason stood right next to her: those sky blue eyes, close-cropped blond hair, that cute little scar on his upper lip.**

"Because he tried to eat a stapler when he was two." Thalia said.

Everyone laughed.

**His face was kind and gentle, but always a little sad. And he just stared at the horizon, not even noticing her.**

"I was thinking." Jason admitted.

**Meanwhile, Leo was being annoying, as usual. **

"Yep he's always like that." Will said.

Leo grinned.

"Stop grinning Mr. Spock." Will said.

Leo pouted only for a second then he was grinning again.

**"This is so cool!" He spit a Pegasus feather out of his mouth.**

Everyone laughed.

The Stolls the loudest.

**"Where are we going?"**

"You know just a camp . . . " Travis started.

"That has special kids. . . "Connor said.

"And they are demigods." The both said together.

Most rolled their eyes at the brothers' antics but some (you know who they are) burst out laughing.

**"A safe place," Annabeth said. "The _only _safe place for kids like us. Camp Half-Blood."**

"That's not true." Frank said.

"I didn't know back then." Annabeth said.

**"Half-Blood?" Piper was immediately on guard. She hated that word. She'd been called a half-blood too many times—half Cherokee, half white—and it was never a compliment.**

"I didn't mean it like that." Annabeth said.

"I know." Piper smiled at her.

**"Is that some kind of bad joke?"**

"Nope!" Leo yelled making the whole room jump.

Aphrodite screeched in fright.

Meanwhile on Olympus streets Mr. Janitor screamed in frustration.

"I really hate my job." He grumbled.

**"She means we're demigods," Jason said. "Half god, half mortal."**

"Yep your half us." Hermes and Apollo said gesturing to the other gods.

The gods rolled their eyes but some smiled all the same.

They were part of them in a sense.

**Annabeth looked back. "You seem to know a lot, Jason. But, yes, demigods. My mom is Athena, goddess of wisdom.**

Athena smiled at her daughter.

Annabeth smiled back with enthusiasm.

**Butch here is the son of Iris, the rainbow goddess."**

Leo snickered.

**Leo choked. "Your mom is a rainbow goddess?"**

**"Got a problem with that?" Butch said.**

"No no." Leo said trying not to laugh but failing miserably.

**"No, no," Leo said. "Rainbows. Very macho."**

Now most of the room was trying not to laugh along with Leo.

**"Butch is our best equestrian," Annabeth said. "He gets along great with the pegasi."**

Percy smiled wistfully," Man I miss those horses."

"you can see some if you want." Poseidon said smiling at his favorite son.

Percy grinned," Yes!"

Poseidon chuckled.

**"Rainbows, ponies," Leo muttered.**

The people who were trying not to laugh couldn't hold it in anymore.

They cracked up.

**"I'm gonna toss you off this chariot," Butch warned.**

"He would do that you know." Annabeth warned.

Leo's eyes widened.

**"Demigods," Piper said. "You mean you think you're … you think we're—"**

"Yep." Percy said nonchalantly.

**Lightning flashed. The chariot shuddered, and Jason yelled, "Left wheel's on fire!"**

"That's not good." Apollo said.

"You can say that again." Hermes said.

"That's – "Apollo stared.

"He didn't mean literally!" Artemis yelled, frustrated.

"You know you love me. "Apollo grinned.

**Piper stepped back. Sure enough, the wheel was burning, white flames lapping up the side of the chariot.**

"Better get to camp quick." Demeter said.

"But there on fire. . . "Athena said.

Nobody noticed that Frank paled at the mention of the fire.

Hazel looking at him and gently grabbed his hand.

Nico stared at them, glaring.

Who knew Nico could go into protective brother mode.

**The wind roared. Piper glanced behind them and saw dark shapes forming in the clouds, more storm spirits spiraling toward the chariot—except these looked more like horses than angels.**

Jason smiled," I miss my thunder horse."

The Stolls laughed.

"What?" Jason asked confused.

Travis and Connor where to busy laughing to answer.

Katie gasped and smacked both of them.

"Ow!"

**She started to say, "Why are they—"**

**" _Anemoi _come in different shapes," Annabeth said. "Sometimes human, sometimes stallions, depending on how chaotic they are. Hold on. This is going to get rough."**

"You're so smart Wise girl." Percy said.

Annabeth didn't know if he was mocking her or not.

"This should be interesting." Apollo said rubbing his hands together.

**Butch flicked the reins. The pegasi put on a burst of speed, and the chariot blurred. Piper's stomach crawled into her throat. Her vision went black, and when it came back to normal, they were in a totally different place.**

"They can do that." Percy informed everyone in the room.

Some rolled their eyes while others (again you know who they are) said," They can!"

**A cold gray ocean stretched out to the left. **

"Hey!" Percy and Poseidon yelled together.

"Sorry." Piper said.

**Snow-covered fields, roads, and forests spread to the right. Directly below them was a green valley, like an island of springtime, rimmed with snowy hills on three sides and water to the north. Piper saw a cluster of buildings like ancient Greek temples, a big blue mansion, ball courts, a lake, and a climbing wall that seemed to be on fire.**

Frank paled.

"I love that wall." Leo said.

"Only because you cheat and go right through the lava." Jason said rolling his eyes.

Frank turned to Leo so fast his neck hurt afterwards.

Frank eyed Leo.

**But before she could really process all she was seeing, their wheels came off and the chariot dropped out of the sky.**

**Annabeth and Butch tried to maintain control. The pegasi labored to hold the chariot in a flight pattern, but they seemed exhausted from their burst of speed, and bearing the chariot and the weight of five people was just too much.**

**"The lake!" Annabeth yelled. "Aim for the lake!"**

"Oh this reminds me of a certain situation with a bus. . . "Percy said.

"Shut up kelp head." Thalia said.

If you looked closely you could actually see a little pink on her cheeks.

**Piper remembered something her dad had once told her, about hitting water from up high being as bad as hitting cement.**

"Not for me." Percy said in a sing-song voice.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

**And then—**

**_BOOM_****.**

Poseidon yelled the last part so loud that everyone jumped ten feet into the air.

Poseidon cracked up.

**The biggest shock was the cold. She was underwater, so disoriented that she didn't know which way was up. She just had time to think: _This would be a stupid way to die._ **

Nobody noticed but Percy tensed up for a fraction of a second.

**Then faces appeared in the green murk—girls with long black hair and glowing yellow eyes.**

Percy smiled.

Annabeth glared at him.

"What?" He asked.

Annabeth just rolled her eyes.

**They smiled at her, grabbed her shoulders, and hauled her up.**

Aphrodite let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding.

**They tossed her, gasping and shivering, onto the shore. Nearby, Butch stood in the lake, cutting the wrecked harnesses off the pegasi. **

"At least there okay." Percy sighed.

The lost hero trio stared at him.

"Oh and you guys too of course." Percy added.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

Sometimes she wondered about her Seaweed brain. . .

**Fortunately, the horses looked okay, but they were flapping their wings and splashing water everywhere. **

"That would be the best splash fight ever!" Chris said.

Everyone stared at him.

"What am a son of Hermes you know." Chris said grinning.

**Jason, Leo, and Annabeth were already on shore, surrounded by kids giving them blankets and asking questions.**

"What were they asking?" Asked Hermes curiously.

"Oh you know just the ordinary stuff." Annabeth said.

Hermes waited for her to elaborate but she just looked at the book.

Hermes pouted.

**Somebody took Piper by the arms and helped her stand.**

Aphrodite smiled," That was a nice thing to do."

**Apparently kids fell into the lake a lot, because a detail of campers ran up with big bronze leaf blower–looking things and blasted Piper with hot air; and in about two seconds her clothes were dry.**

"That's cool." Leo said.

"Sence Percy's request demigods have been appearing in weirder place than the lake." Annabeth said.

Hermes raised an eyebrow.

**There were at least twenty campers milling around—the youngest maybe nine, the oldest college age, eighteen or nineteen—and all of them had orange T-shirts like Annabeth's.**

"I do miss those shirts." Percy said wistfully.

Annabeth smiled.

** Piper looked back at the water and saw those strange girls just below the surface, their hair floating in the current. They waved like, _toodle-oo_, and disappeared into the depths. A second later the wreckage of the chariot was tossed from the lake and landed nearby with a wet crunch.**

Leo winced.

Will grimaced.

**"Annabeth!" A guy with a bow and quiver on his back pushed through the crowd. "I said you could _borrow _the chariot, not destroy it!"**

Will blushed scarlet.

**"Will, I'm sorry," Annabeth sighed. "I'll get it fixed, I promise."**

Everyone turned to Will at the same time.

This made Will's face go even a darker red.

**Will scowled at his broken chariot. Then he sized up Piper, Leo, and Jason. "These are the ones? Way older than thirteen. Why haven't they been claimed already?"**

"That's weird." Athena said.

Everyone turned away from Will to face her.

"From what the other five books in Percy's point of view they should have been claimed a long time ago." Athena said thoughtfully.

Annabeth nodded," I was thinking the same thing."

**"Claimed?" Leo asked.**

"You know, finding out who your parent is?" Travis said to Leo.

Leo blushed," I know now."

Frank and Hazel were intrigued at the mention of their friend Percy's camp.

It sounded so different from camp Jupiter.

**Before Annabeth could explain, Will said, "Any sign of Percy?"**

Everyone looked sad even though the person mentioned was in the room.

Percy grimaced but grabbed Annabeth hand gently.

She looked into his eyes.

They shared their gazes for a long time.

Annabeth whispered," You better never leave."

Percy grinned," Wouldn't think about it."

Annabeth smiled and leaned into him.

Poseidon looked worried for his son.

Of course he knew that he was alive and hear but to here you son just disappear. . .

. . . it was unsettling to say the least.

**"No," Annabeth admitted.**

Annabeth snuggled closer to her Seaweed Brain.

Thalia looked over to them and smiled.

Aphrodite eyed her.

_Maybe. . . just maybe, _Aphrodite thought scheming up a plan.

**The campers muttered. Piper had no idea who this guy Percy was, but his disappearance seemed to be a big deal.**

"It was." Nico said.

"It was like losing a role model, brother, and friend." Travis said.

Percy blushed," I'm not that great."

"Percy being modest again." Thalia said rolling her eyes.

Jason looked at the blushing Percy.

_He sure is different, _Jason thought.

**Another girl stepped forward—tall, Asian, dark hair in ringlets, plenty of jewelry, and perfect makeup. **

All the demigods groaned except for Hazel and Frank.

( Drew really gets on my nerves sometimes. . . )

**Somehow she managed to make jeans and an orange T-shirt look glamorous. She glanced at Leo, fixed her eyes on Jason like he might be worthy of her attention,**

Leo pouted.

"In my opinion that was a good thing repair boy." Piper said.

"Yeah but still. . ." Leo trailed off.

** then curled her lip at Piper as if she were a week-old burrito that had just been pulled out of a Dumpster. **

Aphrodite knitted her eyebrows together.

It was a weird look for the goddess of beauty.

**Piper knew this girl's type. She'd dealt with a lot of girls like this at Wilderness School and every other stupid school her father had sent her to. Piper knew instantly they were going to be enemies.**

The demigods that were there with Piper all nodded at that.

**"Well," the girl said, "I hope they're worth the trouble."**

"That was rude." Hestia said.

Everyone jumped, she was so quiet nobody noticed that she was there.

Frank and Hazel stared at the goddess tending the fire.

That was a different sight. . .

. . . actually all of this back in time stuff is different too.

**Leo snorted. "Gee, thanks. What are we, your new pets?"**

" Nice Leo." Jason said shaking his head.

Leo grinned.

**"No kidding," Jason said. "How about some answers before you start judging us—like, what is this place, why are we here, how long do we have to stay?"**

"All very god questions." Athena said approvingly.

**Piper had the same questions, but a wave of anxiety washed over her.**

Some raised their eyebrows.

**_Worth the trouble. _****If they only knew about her dream. They had no idea…**

"Again. . . What is the dream!" Hermes said.

Piper smiled," Spoiler."

Everyone groaned.

"Now I know how you guys feel." Percy said moodly.

_So there is an up side to reading your point of view_, Piper thought.

**"Jason," Annabeth said, "I promise we'll answer your questions. And Drew"—she frowned at the glamour girl**

"Oh. . . Drew." Aphrodite nodded her head in understanding.

Everyone gave her a curious look.

**—"all demigods are worth saving. But I'll admit, the trip didn't accomplish what I hoped."**

"Nope." Nico said.

Annabeth shifted into Percy's chest.

Percy smiled and stared to stock her hair.

**"Hey," Piper said, "we didn't ask to be brought here."**

"Well to bad." Chris said with a grin.

**Drew sniffed. "And nobody _wants _you, hon. Does your hair always look like a dead badger?"**

Everyone took in a breath trying to calm themselves.

This chick was starting to get on their nerves.

**Piper stepped forward, ready to smack her, but Annabeth said, "Piper, stop."**

"Ah, Annabeth." The Stoll brothers whined.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**Piper did. She wasn't a bit scared of Drew, but Annabeth didn't seem like somebody she wanted for an enemy.**

"That is a WISE dicion." Percy said grinning.

"That was the worst pun I ever heard." Thalia said.

Percy pouted.

**"We need to make our new arrivals feel welcome," Annabeth said, with another pointed look at Drew. "We'll assign them each a guide, give them a tour of camp. Hopefully by the campfire tonight, they'll be claimed."**

"They will." Apollo said knowingly.

**"Would somebody tell me what _claimed _means?" Piper asked.**

"Well . . . " Athena stared but Poseidon interrupted her by reading louder than he should have.

Athena glared at the sea-god.

**Suddenly there was a collective gasp. The campers backed away. At first Piper thought she'd done something wrong.**

Clarisse shook her head," Nope."

** Then she realized their faces were bathed in a strange red light, as if someone had lit a torch behind her. She turned and almost forgot how to breathe.**

"That would be a bad thing right?" Percy asked.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

Nobody noticed the flicker of fear in Percy's eyes.

**Floating over Leo's head was a blazing holographic image —a fiery hammer.**

Hephaestus smiled at his son.

Leo grinned back.

**"That," Annabeth said, "is claiming."**

See Athena we didn't need you draw out and annoying definition." Poseidon grinned.

Athena stilled held her glare.

**"What'd I do?" Leo backed toward the lake. Then he glanced up and yelped. **

Everyone snickered.

**" Is my hair on fire?" He ducked, but the symbol followed him, bobbing and weaving so it looked like he was trying to write something in flames with his head.**

"That had to one of the funniest claimings." Travis said.

Leo grinned," Glad to help."

**"This can't be good," Butch muttered. "The curse—"**

"What curse." It was Hades who asked the question.

Nobody gave him an answer.

**"Butch, shut up," Annabeth said. "Leo, you've just been claimed—"**

**"By a god," Jason interrupted. "That's the symbol of Vulcan, isn't it?"**

Hephaestus image flickered.

**All eyes turned to him.**

"That was a little embarrassing." Jason admitted.

**"Jason," Annabeth said carefully, "how did you know that?"**

**"I'm not sure."**

"Of course you don't." Thalia sighed.

**"Vulcan?" Leo demanded. "I don't even LIKE _Star Trek_. What are you talking about?"**

Everyone cracked up.

Leo looked around at all the laughing faces.

Then he smiled.

**"Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus," Annabeth said, "the god of blacksmiths and fire."**

Hephaestus smiled.

**The fiery hammer faded, but Leo kept swatting the air like he was afraid it was following him. **

" Hey didn't Tyson do that?" Nico asked.

Leo's eyes bulged out of his head.

Everyone laughed at his reaction.

**"The god of _what_? Who?"**

**Annabeth turned to the guy with the bow. "Will, would you take Leo, give him a tour? Introduce him to his bunk-mates in Cabin Nine."**

"Sometimes I wish that I didn't give that tour." Will grinned at Leo.

Leo pouted.

Everyone else snickered.

**"Sure, Annabeth."**

**"What's Cabin Nine?" Leo asked. "And I'm not a Vulcan!"**

"Still on that?" Demeter asked.

Leo blushed and his nose almost caught fire.

_Almost._

**"Come on, Mr. Spock, I'll explain everything." Will put a hand on his shoulder and steered him off toward the cabins.**

Okay even the people who were holding in their laughter couldn't help laughing at that.

Will smiled sheepishly.

**Annabeth turned her attention back to Jason. Usually Piper didn't like it when other girls checked out her boyfriend, but Annabeth didn't seem to care that he was a good-looking guy.**

"Theres a reason for that." Percy said in a sing-song voice.

"Seaweed brain." Annabeth said.

"But I'm your Seaweed Brain." Percy smiled.

Aphrodite cooed.

** She studied him more like he was a complicated blueprint. Finally she said, "Hold out your arm."**

"What. . . oh your tattoo." Athena said nodding at Jason.

Jason nodded.

Percy looked down at his tattoo and his it behind his back.

_They'll find out later, _Percy thought, _Just not right now. _

Then he had a horrible thought, _Mom's going to kill me for this tattoo._

**Piper saw what she was looking at, and her eyes widened.**

"I wasn't expecting that." Piper admitted.

If you listened close enough you could have heard her mumble," Stupid Mist."

**Jason had taken off his windbreaker after his dip in the lake, leaving his arms bare, and on the inside of his right forearm was a tattoo. How had ****Piper never noticed it before?**

"The mist." Athena said.

Piper nodded grimly.

** She'd looked at Jason's arms a million times. The tattoo couldn't have just _appeared_, but it was darkly etched, impossible to miss: a dozen straight lines like a bar code, and over that an eagle with the letters spqr.**

"Wow!" Connor said staring at Jason's tattoo.

Jason left more than a little uncomfortable.

**"I've never seen marks like this," Annabeth said. "Where did you get them?"**

"You never seen them because. . . " Apollo said.

But stopped because of all the looks he was getting.

**Jason shook his head. "I'm getting really tired of saying this, but I don't know."**

"That must have been annoying." Chris said.

"It was." Percy and Jason said at the same time.

They stared at each other.

**The other campers pushed forward, trying to get a look at Jason's tattoo. The marks seemed to bother them _a lot—_almost like a declaration of war.**

"Well. . . " Apollo trailed off.

"It technically is." Frank said.

Apollo nodded.

**"They look burned into your skin," Annabeth noticed.**

"It is. "Jason said.

Percy was about to say that too but for once kept his mouth closed.

**"They were," Jason said. Then he winced as if his head was aching. "I mean … I think so. I don't remember."**

"I hated that feeling." Percy said.

Jason nodded.

Who knew forgetting your life was a good way to bond?

**No one said anything. It was clear the campers saw Annabeth as the leader. They were waiting for her verdict.**

"That sounds like your going to kill him." Thalia said looking at Annabeth.

**"He needs to go straight to Chiron," Annabeth decided. "Drew, would you—"**

Everyone groaned.

**"Absolutely." Drew laced her arm through Jason's. "This way, sweetie. I'll introduce you to our director. He's … an _interesting _guy." She flashed Piper a smug look and led Jason toward the big blue house on the hill.**

Piper snorted, angry.

Jason grabbed her hand.

Piper looked up at him and smiled.

**The crowd began to disperse, until only Annabeth and Piper were left.**

"The girls are left. . . " Apollo sang.

**"Who's Chiron?" Piper asked. "Is Jason in some kind of trouble?"**

"Maybe. . . " Hermes said.

**Annabeth hesitated. "Good question, Piper. Come on, I'll give you a tour. We need to talk."**

"Done." Poseidon said," Who wants to read?"

"I will," Will said.

( ha ha I just realized that could be a pun.)

"After the next chapter we should break for lunch." Athena said.

Everyone agreed.

Will oped to the next page.

* * *

**Hope you liked it**

**The next chapter or Learning about Percy will be done soon**

**Please review**

**see you later**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hope you like it**

**218 reviews for 4 chapters! Thanks guys!**

**I'm back. Sorry it took so long but I had school and I had to finish the recent chapter for Learning about Percy and this chapter was hard to write for some reason. AND I'm not quitting this story anytime soon. I promised myself I would finish ALL the books so don't worry guys.**

**AND I hope the long chapter makes up for it. I'm not sure if the chapters good or not but**

** it's the LONGEST CHAPTER OUT OF ALL MY STORIES! New New record! It's over 10,200 words!**

**enjoy the next chapter in Sent back in time again.**

**Poll results**

Witch god out of the two would you like to be your parent?

Apollo 79 votes

Hermes 32 votes

(I could go with both actually )

I put up a new poll so please vote

* * *

**"Piper IV"** Will read.

"Here we go." Piper said.

Percy couldn't stop grinning.

**Piper soon realized Annabeth's heart wasn't in the tour.**

"Well if I was let down on finding my missing. . . girlfriend I would be to." Apollo said.

And he almost said boyfriend.

"That was actually pretty smart." Athena said.

Apollo grinned blinding everyone in the room**.**

**She talked about all this amazing stuff the camp offered—magic archery,**

Thalia and Artemis grinned.

Apollo and Will looked at each other and nodded.

Nobody noticed that Nico was looking at Artemis and Thalia.

** pegasus riding,**

Percy and Poseidon grinned.

** the lava wall,**

"I really do love that wall." Leo said wistfully.

"Only because you can just cheat and climb though the lava." Piper said rolling her eyes.

Frank and Hazel looked at Leo.

** fighting monsters **

"Well actually sometime we have no choice with that." Annabeth said.

"Expesually Percy." Thalia said.

Percy pouted.

Annabeth laughed and kissed his cheek.

He perked up to say the least.

**—but she showed no excitement, as if her mind were elsewhere. **

"Sorry Piper." Annabeth said turning to the daughter of Aphrodite.

"It's okay." Piper said.

**She pointed out the open-air dining pavilion that overlooked Long Island Sound. **

Percy smiled sadly.

How he missed that view.

**(Yes, Long Island, New York; they'd traveled ****_that _****far on the chariot.)**

"Well duh." Leo said grinning.

"Shut up, repair boy."

** Annabeth explained how Camp Half-Blood was mostly a summer camp, but some kids stayed here year-round,**

Those said campers in the throne room cheered.

( you know I've always wondered why the Stolls stayed year-round. Anyone else ever think about? Or is it just me?)

** and they'd added so many campers it was always crowded now, even in winter.**

"Wow." Many people said.

"Well my wish worked." Percy said.

"We can see that son." Poseidon said eyes wide.

**Piper wondered who ran the camp, **

"Hmm I wonder." Hermes said jokingly.

Dionysus flipped his magazine page.

"How long can he look at that same magazine?" Apollo said.

Dionysus snapped his fingers and a new magazine appeared.

Apollo blinked.

Behind the new magazine Dionysus smiled. . . just slightly.

**and how they'd known Piper and her friends belonged here.**

"Well . . . " Hermes stared.

Everyone looked at him.

"Uh. . . " Hermes said.

** She wondered if she'd have to stay full-time,**

"Depends on what your life was like before you came." Athena said.

Poseidon eyed her.

Aphrodite eyed the both of them.

Aphrodite looked away and looked at Annabeth and Percy.

She sighed.

** or if she'd be any good at the activities.**

" You have to be good at something." Demeter said.

Everyone thought about that.

** Could you flunk out of monster fighting? **

"You could but I don't think you want to." Percy said wisely.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

Percy grinned at her.

**A million questions bubbled in her head, but given Annabeth's mood, she decided to keep quiet.**

Annabeth looked guilty.

Piper waved her off good naturedly.

**As they climbed a hill at the edge of camp, Piper turned and got an amazing view of the valley—a big stretch of woods to the northwest, a beautiful beach,**

Percy closed his eyes.

Perfect.

** the creek, the canoe lake, lush green fields, and the whole layout of the cabins—a bizarre assortment of buildings arranged like a Greek omega, Ω , with a loop of cabins around a central green, and two wings sticking out the bottom on either side.**

"Wow you expanded fast." Athena said to her daughter.

Annabeth smiled.

**Piper counted twenty cabins in all. One glowed golden, another silver. **

Apollo grinned, "My cabin."

"Mine too." Artemis said.

**One had grass on the roof.**

Katie and Demeter smiled at each other.

** Another was bright red with barbed wire trenches.**

Ares smirked.

** One cabin was black with fiery green torches out front.**

Nico smiled," I designed it."

Annabeth looked at him.

"She designed it. I told her what I wanted." Nico corrected.

Hades smiled.

It was good to know that he would have a cabin honoring him.

**All of it seemed like a different world from the snowy hills and fields outside.**

" You don't get rained on." Jason said.

"Well unless Percy's there." Travis said.

"Yeah," Connor said. "That first year Percy was there was like the only time it rained."

Percy smiled sheepishly.

**"The valley is protected from mortal eyes," Annabeth said. "As you can see, the weather is controlled, too. Each cabin represents a Greek god—a place for that god's children to live."**

Frank and Hazel had been silent.

" That's nothing like our camp." Frank said.

Everyone turned to him.

Frank blushed.

**She looked at Piper like she was trying to judge how Piper was handling the news.**

**"You're saying Mom was a goddess."**

"Yep." Aphrodite said.

**Annabeth nodded. "You're taking this awfully calmly."**

"Better than Percy." Annabeth said.

Percy pouted.

**Piper couldn't tell her why. She couldn't admit that this just confirmed some weird feelings she'd had for years, arguments she'd had with her father about why there were no photos of Mom in the house, and why Dad would never tell her exactly how or why her mom had left them.**

Aphrodite looked at her daughter sadly.

Piper smiled to her telling her that she understands now.

Aphrodite smiled gently back.

** But mostly, the dream had warned her this was coming.**

Piper grimaced.

Jason grabbed her hand in resurgence.

**_Soon they will find you, demigod, _****that voice had rumbled. ****_When they do, follow our directions. Cooperate, and your f_****ather might live.**

"What?" Was asked around the throne room.

"What happened to your father?" Aphrodite asked sounding. . . .worried.

"It's okay mom. everything's fine now." Piper said reassuringly.

Everyone that wasn't on the quest were thinking_, what was going on with Pipers dad?_

**Piper took a shaky breath. "I guess after this morning, it's a little easier to believe. So who's my mom?"**

"Me." Aphrodite said still sounding worried but was recovering fast.

Piper smiled.

**"We should know soon," Annabeth said. "You're what—fifteen? Gods are supposed to claim you when you're thirteen. That was the deal."**

Percy grinned," I made that deal."

"We know Seaweed brain." Annabeth said rolling her eyes.

**"The deal?"**

**"They made a promise last summer … well, long story… but they promised not to ignore their demigod children anymore, to claim them by the time they turn thirteen. Sometimes it takes a little longer, but you saw how fast Leo was claimed once he got here. **

"It was fast." Hermes said.

Hephaestus smiled at his son.

Leo grinned.

**Should happen for you soon. Tonight at the campfire, I bet we'll get a sign."**

"And you were right." Piper whispered to Annabeth.

Annabeth smiled.

Everyone gave them a look but waved it off.

They would probably find out later.

**Piper wondered if she'd have a big flaming hammer over her head, or with her luck, something even more embarrassing.**

Leo pouted," It's not embarrassing."

"Sorry repair boy." Piper said.

** A flaming wombat, maybe****.**

Everyone cracked up.

"Imagine if that really did show up above her head." Travis said laughing.

** Whoever her mother was, Piper had no reason to think she'd be proud to claim a kleptomaniac daughter with massive problems. "Why thirteen?"**

"I'm already proud dear." Aphrodite said fixing her makeup in a handheld mirror.

Piper was happy but not at the same time.

**"The older you get," Annabeth said, "the more monsters notice you, try to kill you. 'Round thirteen is usually when it starts.**

"Mine stared when I was twelve." Percy said not knowing what to think about that statement.

"It's because you're a son of kelp for brains over there." Athena said gesturing to Poseidon.

Poseidon glared t her.

Aphrodite smirked.

** That's why we send protectors into the schools to find you guys, get you to camp before it's too late."**

Percy grinned at Grover.

**"Like Coach Hedge?"**

"Yep like coach hedge." Connor said matter of facty.

**Annabeth nodded. "He's—he was a satyr: half man, half goat.**

"And there not half donkey." Percy informed the group.

Everyone cracked up remembering how Grover reacted in the first book.

Hazel and Frank look confused.

** Satyrs work for the camp, finding demigods, protecting them, bringing them in when the time is right."**

"Fawns do nothing like that at our camp." Hazel said.

"What do they do?" Grover asked curious.

Hazel bit her lip," They bag for money usually."

There was silence then," What!"

**Piper had no trouble believing Coach Hedge was half goat. She'd seen the guy eat. **

Everyone laughed.

**She'd never liked the coach much, but she couldn't believe he'd sacrificed himself to save them.**

"It's his job." Zeus said.

Everyone looked at him.

**"What happened to him?" she asked. "When we went up into the clouds, did he … is he gone for good?"**

The lost hero trio looked at each other.

"Maybe. . . ." Leo said.

**"Hard to say." Annabeth's expression was pained. "Storm spirits … difficult to battle. Even our best weapons, Celestial bronze, will pass right through them unless you can catch them by surprise."**

"How did Jason kill them so easily then?" Connor asked.

Annabeth shrugged," I don't know. Got lucky?"

**"Jason's sword just turned them to dust," Piper remembered.**

Connor turned to Piper wiggling his eyebrows," We think alike."

Piper glared at him then slapped him across the face.

"OW!"

Hermes winced and leaned over to Aphrodite," You daughters scary."

Aphrodite smiled her perfect smile.

Jason glared at the troublemaker that was flirting with _his_ girlfriend.

**"He was lucky, then. If you hit a monster just right, you can dissolve them, send their essence back to Tartarus."**

"A horrible place." Athena said.

Everyone shivered.

Percy couldn't shake the feeling that something about that place was important.

"Even I don't go there." Nico said.

**"Tartarus?"**

**"A huge abyss in the Underworld, where the worst monsters come from. Kind of like a bottomless pit of evil. Anyway, once monsters dissolve, it usually takes months, even years before they can reform again.**

"Well you know sometimes they do that." Percy said.

Annabeth gave him a face.

Percy just grinned.

** But since this storm spirit Dylan got away—well, I don't know why he'd keep Hedge alive. Hedge was a protector, though. He knew the risks.**

"All Satyrs do." Grover said.

** Satyrs don't have mortal souls. He'll be reincarnated as a tree or a flower or something."**

Grover looked sad because he remembered all the nature spirits and Satyrs that died in the titan war.

**Piper tried to imagine Coach Hedge as a clump of very angry pansies. **

Everyone laughed at the mental image.

**That made her feel even worse.**

Everyone in the throne room sobered at that.

**She gazed at the cabins below, and an uneasy feeling settled over her. Hedge had died to get her here safely. Her mom's cabin was down there somewhere,**

"Yep!" Leo grinned at Piper.

Piper gave him a look.

** which meant she had brothers and sisters, more people she'd have to betray.**

Everyone stared at Piper.

They were all wondering what was going on.

**_Do what we tell you, _****the voice had said. ****_Or the consequences _****will be painful.**

"Who is that guy?" Apollo said.

"Shouldn't you know?" Artemis asked.

Apollo's cheeks flamed.

**She tucked her hands under her arms, trying to stop them from shaking.**

Aphrodite looked at her daughter with worry.

What was going on?

**"It'll be okay," Annabeth promised. "You have friends here. We've all been through a lot of weird stuff. We know what you're going through."**

"I do for sure." Percy said to everyone in the room.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Got that right kelp head." Thalia said.

**I doubt that, Piper thought.**

Percy looked at Piper.

"I don't think that anymore." Piper said.

**"I've been kicked out of five different schools the past five years," she said. "My dad's running out of places to put me."**

"I beat you there." Percy said.

"What was it again? Eight schools?" Nico asked.

Percy thought about it," That's about right."

**"Only five?" Annabeth didn't sound like she was teasing.**

"I wasn't." Annabeth said seriously.

** "Piper, we've all been labeled troublemakers. **

"Espectrally us." Travis and Connor said proudly.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

**I ran away from home when I was seven."**

**"Seriously?"**

Annabeth looked down.

Percy grabbed her hand," It's better now."

Annabeth gave him a small smile and a kiss on the cheek.

**"Oh, yeah. Most of us are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder or dyslexia, or both—"**

The demigods looked at each other.

Frank blushed.

He was just lactose intallerrent.

Hazel giggled at the expression on Franks face.

Frank turned to her.

_She's beautiful . . ._

**"Leo's ADHD," Piper said.**

"Yeah majorly." Annabeth said.

"Yeah. I've never seen someone who was that ADHD before." Will said.

Leo grinned and sent a bird he was making in his hands around the room.

Zeus glared at it and it flew out of the throne room.

Zeus smirked.

**"Right. It's because we're hardwired for battle. Restless, impulsive**

Every head in the room even Hestia, Hazel, and Frank , turned to Percy.

Percy smiled sheepishly.

**—we don't fit in with regular kids. You should hear how much trouble Percy—" Her face darkened. **

Percy grabbed hold of Annabeth's hand gently.

"I'm sorry, but I'm here now and I promise I will never leave you." Percy whispered into Annabeth's ear.

Annabeth sniffed then fast as lightning grabbed his head and kissed him on the lips.

When they pulled apart she leaned into Percy's chest and smiled.

**"Anyway, demigods get a bad rep. How'd you get in trouble?"**

"Oh you know just stole stuff." Katie said turning to the _Stolls._

"I don't get it." Travis said.

Katie rolled her eyes.

**Usually when someone asked that question, Piper started a fight, or changed the subject, or caused some kind of distraction. But for some reason she found herself telling the truth.**

"I steal stuff," she said. "Well, not really _steal _…"

"How can you steal but not steal?" Connor asked raising an eyebrow.

**"Is your family poor?"**

Piper, Jason and Leo snorted.

"Not even." They said together.

**Piper laughed bitterly. "Not even. I did it … I don't know why. For attention, I guess. My dad never had time for me unless I got in trouble."**

"Usually rich kids do steal to get attention from their parents. Actually it happens a lot." Athena said.

( By the way I know for a fact it's true.)

**Annabeth nodded. "I can relate. But you said you didn't really steal? What do you mean?"**

Everyone listened in.

**"Well … nobody ever believes me. The police, teachers—even the people I took stuff from: they're so embarrassed, they'll deny what happened. But the truth is, I don't steal anything. I just ask people for things. And they give me stuff. Even a BMW convertible. I just asked. And the dealer said, 'Sure. Take it.' Later, he realized what he'd done, I guess. Then the police came after me."**

Aphrodite smiled at her daughter," You're a natural."

Piper blushed.

**Piper waited. She was used to people calling her a liar, but when she looked up, Annabeth just nodded.**

"I heard a lot of wierd stories in my life time." Annabeth said from Percy's chest.

**"Interesting. If your ****_dad _****were the god, I'd say you're a child of Hermes, god of thieves. He can be pretty convincing.**

Hermes raised his eyebrows at that.

Then he grinned at Apollo.

**But your dad is mortal…"**

**"Very," Piper agreed.**

"Ah I would like you to be our sister." Connor said grinning.

**Annabeth shook her head, apparently mystified. "I don't know, then. With luck, your mom will claim you tonight."**

"Yeah." Piper said.

Jason blushed when he realized they were going to hear what he said to Piper when she was being claimed. . .

. . . this is going to be embarrassing.

**Piper almost hoped it wouldn't happen. If her mom were a goddess, would she know about that dream? Would she know what Piper had been asked to do? **

"What, exactly, have you been asked to do?" Hermes asked.

Piper took a breath then let it out," You'll find out."

Hermes pouted.

**Piper wondered if Olympian gods ever blasted their kids with lightning for being evil,**

Everyone turned to Zeus who scowled.

** or grounded them in the Underworld.**

Nico made a face.

Percy seeing his looked laughed," Nico has."

Everyone turned to Nico who scowled.

"Why did I ground you?" Hades asked his son.

"You don't want to know."

**Annabeth was studying her. Piper decided she was going to have to be careful what she said from now on. Annabeth was obviously pretty smart. **

"Yep, she's a wise girl." Percy said cheekily.

Annabeth turned her head at him.

Percy just grinned.

_That sarcastic, troublemaker smile. . . . _

**If anyone could figure out Piper's secret …**

"Actually probably the whole Athena cabin could." Katie said.

Athena smiled proudly at her daughter.

**"Come on," Annabeth said at last. "There's something else I need to check."**

Everyone looked at the book curiously.

**They hiked a little farther until they reached a cave near the top of the hill. Bones and old swords littered the ground. Torches flanked the entrance, which was covered in a velvet curtain embroidered with snakes. **

"So they did go with my idea then." Apollo grinned his bright smile.

"Apparently." Artemis said rolling her eyes.

**It looked like the set for some kind of twisted puppet show.**

"Hey!" Apollo squeaked.

"Sorry." Piper said.

"Did you just squeak?" Hermes smiled.

Apollo glared at him.

**"What's in there?" Piper asked.**

**Annabeth poked her head inside, then sighed and closed the curtains. "Nothing, right now. A friend's place. I've been expecting her for a few days, but so far, nothing."**

**"Your friend lives in a cave?"**

"Yep." Percy said.

"Kind weird to think Rachel lives in there." Will said.

"Who's Rachel?" Frank asked.

Everyone looked at him.

That was pretty much the first time he talked to everyone.

"Rachel's the Oracle at camp half blood." Percy said.

"If Octavian found out." Frank said.

"I hate that guy." Jason said.

"I do too." Percy said.

Th gods looked at Percy in confusion.

**Annabeth almost managed a smile. "Actually, her family has a luxury condo in Queens, and she goes to a finishing school in Connecticut. But when she's here at camp, yeah, she lives in the cave. She's our oracle, tells the future. **

"Without massacring stuffed animals?" Frank asked.

Everyone looked at him weird.

"Yep." Percy said.

**I was hoping she could help me—"**

**"Find Percy," Piper guessed.**

Percy put his arm around Annabeth and kissed her cheek.

Aphrodite squeaked.

**All the energy drained out of Annabeth, like she'd been holding it together for as long as she could. She sat down on a rock, and her expression was so full of pain, Piper felt like a voyeur.**

Percy looked at the ground guilty.

"It wasn't your fault Seaweed brain." Annabeth whispered.

Percy didn't look up.

**She forced herself to look away. Her eyes drifted to the crest of the hill, where a single pine tree dominated the skyline.**

"Thalia's tree." Nico said.

** Something glittered in its lowest branch—like a fuzzy gold bath mat. No … not a bath mat. It was a sheep's fleece.**

**Okay, Piper thought. Greek camp. They've got a replica of the Golden Fleece.**

Everyone laughed at that.

"That's not a replica." Percy said.

Hazel and Frank's eyes went wide.

**Then she noticed the base of the tree. At first she thought it was wrapped in a pile of massive purple cables. But the cables had reptilian scales, clawed feet, and a snakelike head with yellow eyes and smoking nostrils.**

"A dragon?" Frank asked.

Percy nodded.

Frank wondered if he could turn into that. . .

**"That's—a dragon," she stammered. "That's the ****_actual _****Golden Fleece?"**

Everyone nodded.

**Annabeth nodded, but it was clear she wasn't really listening. Her shoulders drooped. She rubbed her face and took a shaky breath. "Sorry. A little tired."**

"Did you even sleep?" Percy asked worried.

Annabeth didn't answer.

Percy frowned.

**"You look ready to drop," Piper said. "How long have been searching for your boyfriend?"**

**"Three days, six hours, and about twelve minutes."**

"You were counting?" Percy asked.

Annabeth nodded.

**"And you've got no idea what happened to him?"**

"Nope. . . not at that time." Annabeth said.

**Annabeth shook her head miserably. "We were so excited because we both started winter break early. We met up at camp on Tuesday, figured we had three weeks together. **

"That didn't happen like we though." Percy said bitterly.

**It was going to be great. Then after the campfire, he—he kissed me good night,**

Aphrodite squealed.

** went back to his cabin, and ****in the morning, he was gone. We searched the whole camp. We contacted his mom. We've tried to reach him every way we know how. Nothing. He just disappeared."**

Poseidon was starting to breath heavily." Were did he go?"

"Dad I'm right here." Percy said.

"Yeah but were did you go?"

Percy sighed," You'll see."

**Piper was thinking: ****_Three days ago. _****The same night she'd had her dream. "How long were you guys together?"**

"You know for a while. . . ." Percy said.

Annabeth gave him a look.

**"Since August," Annabeth said. "August eighteenth."**

"Percy's birthday." Annabeth said.

Percy gave her a smile.

**"Almost exactly when I met Jason," Piper said. "But we've only been together a few weeks."**

Jason winced and looked down.

**Annabeth winced. "Piper … about that. Maybe you should sit down."**

"Sorry I had to tell you." Annabeth said.

Piper nodded grimly.

Jason grabbed her hand.

She smiled gratefully at him.

**Piper knew where this was going. Panic started building inside her, like her lungs were filling with water. "Look, I know Jason thought—he thought he just ****_appeared _****at our school today. But that's not true. I've known him for four months."**

Jason looked at the ground.

Everyone else winced.

**"Piper," Annabeth said sadly. "It's the Mist."**

**"Missed … what?"**

"Not missed but Mist." Athena said.

She felt a little bad for the daughter of Aphrodite.

**"M-i-s-t. It's a kind of veil separating the mortal world from the magic world. Mortal minds—they can't process strange stuff like gods and monsters, so the Mist bends reality. It makes mortals see things in a way they ****_can _****understand —like their eyes might just skip over this valley completely, or they might look at that dragon and see a pile of cables."**

"Sometimes the Mist sucks." Percy said.

Everyone thought about that then nodded.

**Piper swallowed. "No. You said yourself I'm not a regular mortal. I'm a demigod."**

Again everyone winced.

**"Even demigods can be affected. I've seen it lots of times. Monsters infiltrate some place like a school, pass themselves off as human, and everyone thinks they remember that person. They believe he's always been around. The Mist can change memories, even create memories of things that never happened—"**

"You might of wanted to word that better wise girl." Percy said.

Annabeth nodded thinking about what Piper said next.

**"But Jason's not**** a monster!" Piper insisted. "He's a human guy, or demigod, or whatever you want to call him. My memories aren't fake. They're ****_so _****real. The time we set Coach Hedge's pants on fire.**

"Man I wish that was real. That was hilarious." Leo said sadly.

** The time Jason and I watched a meteor shower on the dorm roof and I finally got the stupid guy to kiss me..."**

"Stupid?" Jason asked raising an eyebrow.

Piper laughed.

**She found herself rambling, telling Annabeth about her whole semester at Wilderness School. She'd liked Jason from the first week they'd met. **

Jason blushed.

**He was so nice to her, and so patient, he could even put up with hyperactive Leo and his stupid jokes.**

Leo pouted then grinned unfazed.

** He'd accepted her for herself and didn't judge her because of the stupid things she'd done. They'd spent hours talking, looking at the stars, and eventually— ****_finally_****—holding hands. All that ****_couldn't _****be fake.**

"Yes it could sweety." Aphrodite said sadly to her daughter.

Piper nodded.

( if that happened to you . . . that would suck)

**Annabeth pursed her lips. "Piper, your memories are a lot sharper than most. I'll admit that, and I don't know why that is. But if you know him so well— "**

**"I do!"**

Piper took a breath.

Revisiting this was painful.

**"Then where is he from?"**

**Piper felt like she'd been hit between the eyes. "He must have told me, but—"**

Everyone stayed silent.

**"Did you ever notice his tattoo before today? Did he ever tell you anything about his parents, or his friends, or his last school?"**

"That's kinda harsh." Leo said.

Annabeth shrugged," Had to be done."

**"I—I don't know, but—"**

**"Piper, what's his last name?"**

"Grace." Thalia said.

Jason nodded.

( by the way my middle name is grace. . . named after my grandmother there.)

**Her mind went blank. She didn't know Jason's last name. How could that be?**

"The Mist." Piper said sadly.

Jason took her hand.

**She started to cry. She felt like a total fool, but she sat down on the rock next to Annabeth and just fell to pieces. It was too much. Did ****_everything _****that was good in her stupid, miserable life have to be taken away?**

Jason put his arm around her.

"At least it's worked out now."

Piper smiled at him.

Aphrodite smiled at the sight.

**Yes, the dream had told her. ****_Yes, unless you do exactly what we say._**

Piper looked down.

Aphrodite glared at the book because it ruined the perfect moment.

**"Hey," Annabeth said. "We'll figure it out. Jason's here now. Who knows? Maybe it'll work out with you guys for real."**

Jason smiled.

**Not likely, Piper thought. Not if the dream had told her the truth. But she couldn't say that.**

"That dreams really annoying me." Clarisse growled.

Chris grabbed her arm.

**She brushed a tear from her cheek. "You brought me up here so no one would see me blubbering, huh?"**

Annabeth shrugged.

**Annabeth shrugged. "I figured it would be hard for you. I know what it's like to lose your boyfriend."**

Percy sighed and grabbed Annabeth pulling her closer.

**"But I still can't believe … I ****_know _****we had something. And now it's just gone, like he doesn't even recognize me. If he really did just show up today, then why? How'd he get there? Why can't he remember anything?"**

"Life great mysteries." Leo said.

Percy and Jason were glaring at a certain goddess.

**"Good questions," Annabeth said. "Hopefully Chiron can figure that out. But for now, we need to get you settled. You ready to go back down?"**

"Maybe. . . "

**Piper gazed at the crazy assortment of cabins in the valley. Her new home, a family who supposedly understood her—but soon they'd be just another bunch of people she'd disappointed, **

"You didn't disappoint me." Jason whispered into Piper's ear.

**just another place she'd been kicked out of.**

"I don't think you can be kicked out." Will said thoughtfully.

**_You'll betray them for us, _****the voice had warned. ****_Or you'll lose _****everything.**

"I really hate that voice." Poseidon said.

Everyone nodded.

**She didn't have a choice.**

**"Yeah," she lied. "I'm ready."**

"You shouldn't lie. . . well unless your running from the po-po." Hermes said.

Everyone stared at him.

**On the central green, a group of campers was playing basketball. They were incredible shots. Nothing bounced off the rim. Three-pointers went in automatically.**

Apollo and Will grinned.

**"Apollo's cabin," Annabeth explained. "Bunch of showoffs with missile weapons—arrows, basketballs."**

Will grinned at Thalia.

Thalia snorted.

**They walked past a central fire pit, where two guys were hacking at each other with swords.**

**"Real blades?" Piper noted. "Isn't that dangerous?"**

"Well maybe. . . maybe not." Percy said jokingly.

**"That's sort of the point," Annabeth said. "Uh, sorry. Bad pun. **

Everyone laughed.

**That's my cabin over there. Number Six." She nodded to a gray building with a carved owl over the door. **

( I love owls . . . don't know why)

**Through the open doorway, Piper could see bookshelves, weapon displays, and one of those computerized SMART Boards they have in classrooms. Two girls were drawing a map that looked like a battle diagram.**

"And that my people is what you see in the Athena cabin." Travis said.

"My people?" Was asked around the room.

**"Speaking of blades," Annabeth said, "come here."**

**She led Piper around the side of the cabin, to a big metal shed that looked like it was meant for gardening tools. **

Annabeth laughed.

_Gardening tools._

**Annabeth unlocked it, and inside were ****_not _****gardening tools, unless you wanted to make war on your tomato plants. The shed was lined with all sorts of weapons—from swords to spears to clubs like Coach Hedge's.**

"Mostly people pick swords." Annabeth informed the group.

**"Every demigod needs a weapon," Annabeth said. "Hephaestus makes the best, but we have a pretty good selection, too. Athena's all about strategy —matching the right weapon to the right person. Let's see …"**

"Lets see how this goes." Percy said curiously.

**Piper didn't feel much like shopping for deadly objects, but she knew Annabeth was trying to do something nice for her.**

Annabeth shrugged," I would have done it anyway."

**Annabeth handed her a massive sword, which Piper could hardly lift.**

"Nope." Everyone said.

**"No," they both said at once.**

Everyone laughed.

**Annabeth rummaged a little farther in the shed and brought out something else.**

**"A shotgun?" Piper asked.**

Some of the people in the room's eyes widened to a sliver degree.

**"Mossberg 500." Annabeth checked the pump action like it was no big deal. "Don't worry. It doesn't hurt humans. It's modified to shoot Celestial bronze, so it only kills monsters."**

"Did you get the idea from when your father shot at the arm?" Apollo asked.

Annabeth nodded smiling.

**"Um, I don't think that's my style," Piper said.**

**"Mmm, yeah," Annabeth agreed. "Too flashy."**

Some 'awwwed'.

**She put the shotgun back and started poking through a rack of crossbows when something in the corner of the shed caught Piper's eye.**

"And . . . she sees it." Connor said dramatically with his hands outstretched.

Everyone either laughed or rolled their eyes.

**"What is that?" she said. "A knife?"**

**Annabeth dug it out and blew the dust off the scabbard. It looked like it hadn't seen the light of day in centuries.**

"It hadn't." Annabeth said.

**"I don't know, Piper." Annabeth sounded uneasy. "I don't think you want this one. Swords are usually better."**

"Why are you uneasy?" Athena asked her daughter.

"You'll see."

**"You use a knife." Piper pointed to the one strapped to Annabeth's belt.**

**"Yeah, but …" Annabeth shrugged. "Well, take a look if you want."**

Everyone leaned forward.

**The sheath was worn black leather, bound in bronze. Nothing fancy, nothing flashy. The polished wood handle fit beautifully in Piper's hand. **

"I fits her." Aphrodite said.

**When she unsheathed it, she found a triangular blade eighteen inches long—bronze gleaming like it had been polished yesterday. The edges were deadly sharp. Her reflection in the blade caught her by surprise. She looked older, more serious, not as scared as she felt.**

Some raised their eyebrows.

**"It suits you," Annabeth admitted. "That kind of blade is called a parazonium. It was mostly ceremonial, carried by high-ranking officers in the Greek armies. It showed you were a person of power and wealth, but in a fight, it could protect you just fine."**

"Interesting." Zeus mumbled.

**"I like it," Piper said. "Why didn't you think it was right?"**

"Yeah why?" Athena asked.

Piper and Annabeth shared a look.

**Annabeth exhaled. "That blade has a long story. Most people would be afraid to claim it. Its first owner … well, things didn't turn out too well for her. Her name was Helen."**

Everyone gasped.

"_The_ Helen?" Apollo asked.

Annabeth nodded.

Everyone stared at piper.

**Piper let that sink in. "Wait, you mean ****_the _****Helen? Helen of Troy?"**

**Annabeth nodded.**

Everyone still couldn't beleave it.

**Suddenly Piper felt like she should be handling the dagger with surgical gloves. "And it's just sitting in your toolshed?"**

"Apparently." Hades said sarcastically.

For some that was even more shocking that the knife.

**"We're surrounded by Ancient Greek stuff," Annabeth said. "This isn't a museum. Weapons like that—they're meant to be used. They're our heritage as demigods. That was a wedding present from Menelaus, Helen's first husband. She named the dagger Katoptris."**

"Mirror." Athena translated.

**"Meaning?"**

**"Mirror," Annabeth said. "Looking glass. Probably because that's the only thing Helen used it for. I don't think it's ever seen battle."**

"Well it is overdue for some battling." Travis said.

**Piper looked at the blade again. **

**For a moment, her own image stared up at her, but then the reflection changed. She saw flames, and a grotesque face like something carved from bedrock. She heard the same laughter as in her dream. She saw her dad in chains, tied to a post in front of a roaring bonfire.**

Everyone's eyes widened.

It did what?

**She dropped the blade.**

"I would have too." Percy said.

Everyone agreed.

**"Piper?" Annabeth shouted to the Apollo kids on the court, "Medic! I need some help over here!"**

"I was fine." Piper said to Piper.

"You didn't look fine." Annabeth pointed out.

Piper thought about that then shrugged.

**"No, it's—it's okay," Piper managed.**

**"You sure?"**

**"Yeah. I just …" She had to control herself. With trembling fingers, she picked up the dagger. "I just got overwhelmed. So much happening today.**

"Well a lot did happen that day." Annabeth said.

"Yeah but that reaction was more than the day." Jason said.

** But … I want to keep the dagger, if that's okay."**

Aphrodite smiled at her daughter.

She was already making her proud.

**Annabeth hesitated. Then she waved off the Apollo kids. "Okay, if you're sure. You turned really pale, there. I thought you were having a seizure or something."**

"Really you thought I was having a Seizure?" Piper asked.

"It could have happened." Annabeth shrugged.

**"I'm fine," Piper promised, though her heart was still racing. "Is there … um, a phone at camp? Can I call my dad?"**

"Well that's a tricky question." Some people said around the room.

**Annabeth's gray eyes were almost as unnerving as the dagger blade. She seemed to be calculating a million possibilities, trying to read Piper's thoughts.**

"Wide girl." Percy sighed.

Annabeth glared at him.

**"We aren't allowed phones," she said. "Most demigods, if they use a cell phone, it's like sending up a signal, letting monsters know where you are.**

"That would be bad." The demigods said.

The gods looked at their kids in worry.

** But … I've got one." She slipped it out of her pocket. "Kind of against the rules, but if it can be our secret …"**

"Well now it's not a secret." Annabeth huffed.

Percy laughed and kissed her on the cheek," Now you know how I feel."

Annabeth gave him a look then softened and kissed him on the cheek.

**Piper took it gratefully, trying not to let her hands shake. She stepped away from Annabeth and turned to face the commons area.**

**She called her dad's private line, even though she knew what would happen. Voice mail. She'd been trying for three days, ever since the dream. **

"Theres that dream again" Hephaestus said gravely.

**Wilderness School only allowed phone privileges once a day, but she'd called every evening, and gotten nowhere.**

Athena was in deep thought.

Hmmm. . . . . . . .

**Reluctantly she dialed the other number. Her dad's personal assistant answered immediately. "Mr. McLean's office."**

"Were have I heard that name before." Percy said.

Piper blushed.

**"Jane," Piper said, gritting her teeth. "Where's my dad?"**

Athena blinked.

Could it be. . . .

**Jane was silent for a moment, probably wondering if she could get away with hanging up. "Piper, I thought you weren't supposed to call from school."**

"Jane annoys me." Percy said.

some even agreed.

**"Maybe I'm not at school," Piper said. "Maybe I ran away to live among the woodland creatures."**

Everyone snorted at that.

**"Mmm." Jane didn't sound concerned. "Well, I'll tell him you called."**

"Woooow" Leo said sarcastically.

**"Where is he?"**

**"Out."**

"Well that's descriptive." Athena said irritated.

"Your just mad that you can't figure this all out." Poseidon said waving her off.

Athena glared at him and her eyes were steal.

**"You don't know, do you?" Piper lowered her voice, hoping Annabeth was too nice to eavesdrop. **

"Oh she eavesdrops." Travis said grinning.

"And she stalks a certain person outside their windows." Connor continued.

Percy and Annabeth couldn't help but blushed.

They said at the same time," Shut it Stolls."

Everyone laughed.

**"When are you going to call the police, Jane? He could be in trouble."**

Trouble. . .

**"Piper, we are not going to turn this into a media circus. I'm sure he's fine. He does take off occasionally. He always comes back."**

"She talks about him likes he's a dog." Jason said.

Piper looked at him.

**"So it's true. You ****_don't _****know—"**

**"I have to go, Piper," Jane snapped. "Enjoy school."**

"Well she seems nice." Hermes said sarcastically.

**The line went dead. Piper cursed. **

"Piper you know it's bad to cure." Travis scolded.

Katie smacked him.

"OW! I love you too."

**She walked back to Annabeth and handed her the phone.**

**"No luck?" Annabeth asked.**

"You could say that."

Ares groaned," This book needs more action. This is so boring."

Everyone glared at him.

**Piper didn't answer. She didn't trust herself not to start crying again.**

**Annabeth glanced at the phone display and hesitated. "Your last name is McLean? Sorry, it's not my business. But that sounds really familiar."**

Piper's eyes widened hen people started to think. . .

**"Common name."**

**"Yeah, I guess. What does your dad do?"**

"Yeah what does he do?" Leo asked grinning.

"Not helping repair boy." Piper hissed.

**"He's got a degree in the arts," Piper said automatically. "He's a Cherokee artist."**

**Her standard response. Not a lie, just not the whole truth. **

People raised their eyebrows.

**Most people, when they heard that, figured her dad sold Indian souvenirs at a roadside stand on a reservation. Sitting Bull bobble-heads, wampum necklaces, Big Chief tablets—that kind of thing.**

"That's what it sounds like." Apollo said.

**"Oh." Annabeth didn't look convinced, but she put the phone away. **

"Annabeth's smart. she can see things that people are hiding." Percy said.

Annabeth looked up at him.

**"You feeling okay? Want to keep going?"**

**Piper fastened her new dagger to her belt and promised herself that later, when she was alone, she'd figure out how it worked. "Sure," she said. "I want to see everything."**

"Everything?" Travis asked wiggling his eyebrows.

Katie smacked him again.

Sooner or later he's going to get a concussion.

**All the cabins were cool, but none of them struck Piper as ****_hers_****. No burning signs—wombats or otherwise—appeared over her head.**

"Wombat." Some around the room laughed.

**Cabin Eight was entirely silver and glowed like moonlight.**

Artemis smiled at the mention of her cabin.

Thalia grinned too.

**"Artemis?" Piper guessed.**

**"You know Greek mythology," Annabeth said.**

"Yes." Piper said.

**"I did some reading when my dad was working on a project last year."**

"I thought your dad did Cherokee art." Hermes said.

Piper bit her lip.

( by the way I'm part Cherokee but not much though. I'm not even a quarter but I still have it)

**"I thought he did Cherokee art."**

**Piper bit back a curse. "Oh, right. But—you know, he does other stuff too."**

"Other stuff." Leo snorted.

**Piper thought she'd blown it: McLean, Greek mythology. Thankfully, Annabeth didn't seem to make the connection.**

Aphrodite, Leo and Jason were the only ones that knew what Piper was talking about ans smiled.

Everyone else looked confused.

**"Anyway," Annabeth continued, "Artemis is goddess of the moon, goddess of hunting. But no campers. Artemis was an eternal maiden, so she doesn't have any kids."**

Artemis nodded," But you can be a hunter."

Thalia smiled.

Nico took a deep breath.

His sister. . . .hunters. . _. .death._ . .

**"Oh." That kind of bummed Piper out. She'd always liked the stories of Artemis, and figured she would make a cool mom.**

Artemis thought about that. . .

"I did love her stories." Piper said.

**"Well, there ****_are _****the Hunters of Artemis," Annabeth amended. "They visit sometimes. **

"And burn down cabins." Travis said.

"That only happened once!" Thalia defended.

**They're not the children of Artemis, but they're her handmaidens —this band of immortal teenage girls who adventure together and hunt monsters and stuff."**

"That sounds fun." Hazel said.

"Well. . . depends on one important fact." Thalia said.

**Piper perked up. "That sounds cool. They get to be immortal?"**

Piper smiled at Hazel.

She hadn't talked much but she seemed nice.

**"Unless they die in combat, or break their vows. Did I mention they have to swear off boys? No dating—ever. For eternity."**

Franks eyes widened.

"Oh." Hazel said," maybe not."

**"Oh," Piper said. "Never mind."**

Everyone laughed at that.

**Annabeth laughed. For a moment she looked almost happy, **

"I love it when she's happy." Percy said smiling gently.

Poseidon smiled at his son.

Aphrodite cooed.

And Annabeth blushed.

**and Piper thought she'd be a cool friend to hang out with in better times. Forget it, Piper reminded herself. You're not going to make any friends here. **

"Why not?" Many asked.

**Not once they find out.**

"find out what? The suspense is killing me." Hermes said.

**They passed the next cabin, Number Ten, **

Aphrodite smiled.

**which was decorated like a Barbie house with lace curtains, a pink door, and potted carnations in the windows. They walked by the doorway, and the smell of perfume almost made Piper gag.**

Aphrodite smiled melted a little.

"Sorry mom." Piper apologised.

**"Gah, is that where supermodels go to die?"**

**Annabeth smirked. "Aphrodite's cabin. Goddess of love. Drew is the head counselor."**

"Drew drives me nuts." Percy said.

Jason nodded in agreement.

Even the other demigods agreed.

Aphrodite wouldn't say it but Drew annoyed her sometimes too.

**"Figures," Piper grumbled.**

**"They're not all bad," Annabeth said. "The last head counselor we had was great."**

Everyone looked down sadly at the mention of Selina.

**"What happened to her?"**

**Annabeth's expression darkened. "We should keep moving."**

"I didn't want to say it." Annabeth said.

"It's okay wise girl." Percy said rubbing her back.

**They looked at the other cabins, but Piper just got more depressed. She wondered if she could be the daughter of Demeter, the farming goddess.**

Demeter smiled," Sorry dear."

"It's okay." Piper said.

"Would you like some cereal?"

Everyone groaned.

"No, I'm okay." Piper said quickly.

**Then again, Piper killed every plant she ever touched.**

Demeter's smiled faded.

** Athena was cool. **

Athena smiled.

**Or maybe Hecate, the magic goddess. But it didn't really matter. Even here, where everyone was supposed to find a lost parent, she knew she would still end up the unwanted kid. **

"Why would you be the unwanted kid?" Jason asked.

Piper smiled at him.

**She was not looking forward to the campfire tonight.**

"Ah it won't be that bad." Chris waved off.

**"We started with the twelve Olympian gods," Annabeth explained. "Male gods on the left, female on the right. Then last year, we added a whole bunch of new cabins for the other gods who didn't have thrones on Olympus—Hecate, Hades, Iris—"**

"Your welcome." Percy said turning to Hades.

Hades glared at him.

Nico snorted.

**"What are the two big ones on the end?" Piper asked.**

Hera and Zeus straightened up in their thrones proudly.

**Annabeth frowned. "Zeus and Hera. King and queen of the gods."**

**Piper headed that way, and Annabeth followed, though she didn't act very excited. The Zeus cabin reminded Piper of a bank. It was white marble with big columns out front and polished bronze doors emblazoned with lightning bolts.**

"Huh. I never thought of it that way." Thalia said.

"Yeah now that you talk about like that it does look like a bank." Percy said.

The king of the gods scowled.

**Hera's cabin was smaller but done in the same style, except the doors were carved with peacock feather designs, shimmering in different colors. Unlike the other cabins, which were all noisy and open and full of activity, the Zeus and Hera cabins looked closed and silent.**

"Like they should." Hera said.

Many rolled their eyes.

**"Are they empty?" Piper asked.**

**Annabeth nodded. "Zeus went a long time without having any children. **

"That didn't last." Hera grumbled royally.

Zeus looked at his wife.

**Well, mostly. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, the eldest brothers among the gods —they're called the Big Three. Their kids are really powerful, really dangerous.**

"Yep we are!" Percy said grabbing Nico and Thalia and pulling them in a hug.

Thalia looked angry but Nico looked a mixture of embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Everyone laughed at their expressions.

** For the last seventy years or so, they tried to avoid having demigod children."**

**" ****_Tried _****to avoid it?"**

"You pick up everything beauty queen." Leo said.

" I told you to stop calling me that!"

**"Sometimes they … um, cheated.**

"Nice way to word it," Percy laughed.

"Well they do." Annabeth said defendable.

** I've got a friend, Thalia Grace, who's the daughter of Zeus. **

Thalia grinned.

**But she gave up camp life and became a Hunter of Artemis.**

Artemis and Thalia smiled at each other.

** My boyfriend, Percy, he's a son of Poseidon. **

At this Percy kissed Annabeth on the cheek and smiled at his dad.

Poseidon smiled right back.

**And there's a kid who shows up sometimes, Nico—son of Hades.**

Nico smiled and so did Hades.

** Except for them, there are no demigod children of the Big Three gods. At least, not that we know of."**

"Yeah I think your missing one." Jason said.

"And two." Hazel said shyly.

Everyone nodded at that.

**"And Hera?" Piper looked at the peacock-decorated doors. The cabin bothered her, though she wasn't sure why.**

Hera frowned at that.

**"Goddess of marriage." Annabeth's tone was carefully controlled, like she was trying to avoid cursing. **

Annabeth shrugged," I was."

**"She doesn't have kids with anyone but Zeus. So, yeah, no demigods. The cabin's just honorary."**

Annabeth grumbled.

**"You don't like her," Piper noticed.**

"The feeling mutual, demigod." Hera spat out.

Everyone glared at her.

**"We have a long history," Annabeth admitted. "I thought we'd made peace, but when Percy disappeared … I got this weird dream vision from her."**

Everyone stopped glaring because they were confused.

Why would Hera. . .

**"Telling you to come get us," Piper said. "But you thought Percy would be there."**

Percy winced but grabbed Annabeth's hand all the same.

Annabeth gave him a grateful look.

**"It's probably better I don't talk about it," Annabeth said. "I've got nothing good to say about Hera right now."**

Hera scowled at the daughter of Athena.

**Piper looked down the base of the doors. "So who goes in here?"**

"Why would you ask that?" Poseidon asked confused.

"You'll see."

"I really hate those words." Poseidon grumbled.

**"No one. The cabin is just honorary, like I said. No one goes in."**

Everyone nodded.

**"Someone does." Piper pointed at a footprint on the dusty threshold. **

"A footprint?" Someone in the room asked.

Nobody really payed attention though because they were all thinking the same thing.

**On instinct, she pushed the doors and they swung open easily.**

"What? Don't do that!" Hermes squeaked.

"Yes, that is very unwise." Athena said.

**Annabeth stepped back. "Um, Piper, I don't think we should—"**

**"We're supposed to do dangerous stuff, right?" And Piper walked inside.**

"And she went in." Hermes said.

"Piper I know you do dangerous stuff but that might have been_ too_ dangerous." Percy said.

Coming from Percy that was saying a lot.

**Hera's cabin was not someplace Piper would want to live. **

And everyone silently agreed.

**It was as cold as a freezer, with a circle of white columns around a central statue of the goddess, ten feet tall, seated on a throne in flowing golden robes. **

"Big statue." Travis said.

**Piper had always thought of Greek statues as white with blank eyes, but this one was brightly painted so it looked almost human—except huge. Hera's piercing eyes seemed to follow Piper.**

"I hate when you see a painting ans the eyes follow you." Connor said," It's creepy."

(I kinda is. . . )

**At the goddess's feet, a fire burned in a bronze brazier. Piper wondered who tended it if the cabin was always empty. **

"A very good question." Percy said.

At the hearth Hestia smiled.

**A stone hawk sat on Hera's shoulder, and in her hand was a staff topped with a lotus flower. The goddess's hair was done in black plaits. Her face smiled, but the eyes were cold and calculating, as if she were saying:**

**_Mother knows best. Now don't cross me or I will have to step on you._**

Everyone laughed.

"I can picture Hera saying that." Percy laughed.

Hera looked like she was trying to restrain herself not to attack the people in the throne room.

**There was nothing else in the cabin—no beds, no furniture, no bathroom, **

"That would suck if really had to go." Travis grimaced**.**

**no windows, nothing that anyone could actually use to live. For a goddess of home and marriage, Hera's place reminded Piper of a tomb.**

Everyone silently agreed.

Nobody would want to live there.

**No, this wasn't her mom. At least Piper was sure of ****_that_****. **

Hera scowled at the daughter of Aphrodite.

It was really unroyal like.

( don't tell her I said that)

**She hadn't come in here because she felt a ****_good _****connection, but because her sense of dread was stronger here.**

"It would be for everyone." Apollo said.

"Apollo." Zeus said warningly.

Apollo shut up.

** H****er dream—that horrible ultimatum she'd been handed—had something to do with this cabin.**

"The dream again." Leo said.

"It must be bad if it has something to do with _Hera_." Annabeth said frowning.

Hera glared at the daughter of Athena.

**She froze. They weren't alone. Behind the statue, at a little altar in the back, stood a figure covered in a black shawl.**

"That's kinda creepy." Travis said.

His brother nodded in agreement.

** Only her hands were visible, palms up. She seemed to be chanting something like a spell or a prayer.**

"Probably chanting." Annabeth said.

Annabeth gasped. "Rachel?"

Everyone gasped.

"What's my Oracle doing in Hera's cabin? "Apollo said worried.

"I guess were about to find out." Hermes said patting Apollo on the shoulder.

**The other girl turned. She dropped her shawl, revealing a mane of curly red hair and a freckled face that didn't go with the seriousness of the cabin or the black shawl at all. **

Everyone snorted.

**She looked about seventeen, a totally normal teen in a green blouse and tattered jeans covered with marker doodles. **

"The famous marker doodles." Nico said offhandedly.

**Despite the cold floor, she was barefoot.**

"Her feet must be frozen." Percy said.

Can that be considered a pun?

**"Hey!" She ran to give Annabeth a hug. "I'm so sorry! I came as fast as I could."**

"Good to see you are working fine on that friendship." Percy said.

"It was easy when she became the Oracle." Annabeth said.

Percy blushed.

**They talked for a few minutes about Annabeth's boyfriend**

"Speeking of the devil." Annabeth said.

"Actually Annabeth that would be Nico." Thalia pointed out.

"No it would be Hades," Annabeth said in thought.

The two who were mention gave them a look.

** and how there was no news, et cetera, until finally Annabeth remembered Piper, who was standing there feeling uncomfortable.**

"Sorry." Annabeth said to Piper.

"It's okay." Piper waved off good naturally.

**"I'm being rude," Annabeth apologized. "Rachel, this is Piper, one of the half-bloods we rescued today. Piper, this is Rachel Elizabeth Dare, our oracle."**

"Or RED." Travis said.

"It works because she has read hair and her initials say red." Connor grinned like he said the smartest thing in the world.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

**"The friend who lives in the cave," Piper guessed.**

"Yep." Percy said popping the 'p'.

**Rachel grinned. "That's me."**

**"So you're an oracle?" Piper asked. "You can tell the future?"**

"Check." Travis said making a hand movement in the air like checking off a box.

**"More like the future mugs me from time to time," Rachel said. **

Apollo laughed." I like how she describes it."

**"I speak prophecies. The oracle's spirit kind of hijacks me every once in a while and speaks important stuff that doesn't make any sense to anybody. But yeah, the prophecies tell the future."**

"Prophecies can be annoying to figure out." Apollo said.

**"Oh." Piper shifted from foot to foot. "That's cool."**

**Rachel laughed. "Don't worry. Everybody finds it a little creepy. Even me. But usually I'm harmless."**

"It is creepy." Percy said making a face.

Annabeth laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

**"You're a demigod?"**

**"Nope," Rachel said. "Just mortal."**

**"Then why are you …" Piper waved her hand around the room.**

"That's what I want to know." Athena said.

Many people were thinking the same.

**Rachel's smile faded. She glanced at Annabeth, then back at Piper. "Just a hunch. Something about this cabin and Percy's disappearance.**

"Well that was pretty much right." Percy said.

Everyone that didn't know what was going on looked at him in confusion.

** They're connected somehow. I've learned to follow my hunches, especially the last month, since the gods went silent."**

The Gods eyes widened.

**"Went silent?" Piper asked.**

**Rachel frowned at Annabeth. "You haven't told her yet?"**

"Tell her." Hermes said.

**"I was getting to that," Annabeth said. "Piper, for the last month … well, it's normal for the gods not to talk to their children very much, but usually we can count on some messages now and then. Some of us can even visit Olympus. I spent practically all semester at the Empire State Building."**

Athena smiled proudly at her daughter.

Her work would go down in ages.

**"Excuse me?"**

**"The entrance to Mount Olympus these days."**

"Nice way to put it." Percy said laughing.

Annabeth made a face at him.

**"Oh," Piper said. "Sure, why not?"**

**"Annabeth was redesigning Olympus after it was damaged in the Titan War," Rachel explained. "She's an amazing architect. You should see the salad bar—"**

"We get a salad bar?" Aphrodite said.

Annabeth nodded.

Demeter looked excited too.

Hermes and Apollo made a face.

**"Anyway," Annabeth said, "starting about a month ago, Olympus fell silent. The entrance closed, and no one could get in. Nobody knows why. It's like the gods have sealed themselves off. Even my mom won't answer my prayers, **

Athena looked at her daughter with worry.

**and our camp director, Dionysus, was recalled."**

Dionysus peeked out an eye from behind his magazine.

**"Your camp director was the god of … wine?"**

**"Yeah, it's a—"**

**"Long story," Piper guessed. "Right. Go on."**

"Your getting use to things." Annabeth said to Piper.

**"That's it, really," Annabeth said. "Demigods still get claimed, but nothing else. No messages. No visits. No sign the gods are even listening. **

The Gods looked at the Demigods guilty.

Why were they doing that?

**It's like something has happened —something ****_really _****bad. Then Percy disappeared."**

Percy grabbed Annabeth's hand.

**"And Jason showed up on our field trip," Piper supplied. "With no memory."**

"That sucks." Percy said.

Jason nodded in agreement.

Poseidon looked at his son with worry.

**"Who's Jason?" Rachel asked.**

**"My—" Piper stopped herself before she could say "boyfriend," but the effort made her chest hurt. **

Jason gripped piper's hand gently.

Piper smiled.

**"My friend. But Annabeth, you said Hera sent you a dream vision."**

**"Right," Annabeth said. "The first communication from a god in a month, and it's Hera, the least helpful goddess,**

Hera glared.

** and she contacts me, her least favorite demigod. She tells me I'll find out what happened to Percy if I go to the Grand Canyon skywalk and look for a guy with one shoe. Instead, I find you guys, and the guy with one shoe is Jason. It doesn't make sense."**

"That must have been a let down." Percy said gently.

"It was." Annabeth admitted.

Percy pulled her into his chest.

Aphrodite cooed.

**"Something bad is happening," Rachel agreed. She looked at Piper, and Piper felt an overwhelming desire to tell them about her dream, to confess that ****_she _****knew what was happening—at least part of the story. And the bad stuff was only beginning.**

Everyone looked at Piper.

"You'll see."

And then everyone groaned.

**"Guys," she said. "I—I need to—"**

**Before she could continue, Rachel's body stiffened. Her eyes began to glow with a greenish light, and she grabbed Piper by the shoulders.**

Everyone's eyes went wide.

**Piper tried to back away, but Rachel's hands were like steel clamps.**

That had to hurt. . .

**_Free me_, she said. But it wasn't Rachel's voice. It sounded like an older woman, speaking from somewhere far away, down a long, echoing pipe. _Free me, Piper McLean, or the earth shall swallow us. It must be by the solstice._**

"This is bad." Athena said.

"Really?" Poseidon said sarcastically.

Athena glared at him.

**The room started spinning. Annabeth tried to separate Piper from Rachel, but it was no use. **

Everyone couldn't take their eyes off the book.

**Green smoke enveloped them, and Piper was no longer sure if she was awake or dreaming. The giant statue of the goddess seemed to rise from its throne. It leaned over Piper, its eyes boring into her. The statue's mouth opened, its breath like horribly thick perfume. It spoke in the same echoing voice:**

"This is crazy!" Apollo yelled.

**_Our enemies stir. The fiery one is only the first. Bow to _****his will, and their king shall rise, dooming us all. FREE ME!**

**Piper's knees buckled, and everything went black.**

"That's. . . it." Will said.

"That was intense." Travis and Connor said at the same time.

"Time for lunch. . . " Athena stopped her sentence when everyone gave her a look.

"It won't be long." Athena promised.

Everyone groaned but complied all the same.

* * *

**Hope you liked it.**

**Sorry it took so long but I hope the lengh of the chapter fills your hunger for a chapter.**

**please review.**

**See you next time**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hope you like that chapter**

**Thanks for the reviews**

**S****o this is way shorter that the other chapter but I got it done quick for you guys. I'll have the next chapter done soon.**

**PLEASE READ IMPORTANT!**

**Okay I know my spelling skills are not the best and I need to work on my grammar but I am working on it the best I can while I write these chapters. A lot of people keep telling me to use spell check and I DO USE SPELL CHECK before I submit a chapter. Every. Time. After I type a chapter I pushed the spellcheck button and go through the chapter to find mistakes. So people who tell me to use spellcheck please stop because I DO USE SPELLCHECK! Sorry for the rant but it's making me mad because I told you guys a long time ago I do use spell check.**

**Also does anyone want me to do the janitor joke again? Just thought I would ask.**

**Again sorry for the rant enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Everyone hurried to finish lunch so they could find out what happened to Piper.

Everyone settled down in the throne room and looked around at each other.

"So . . . who wants to read?" Percy said.

Everyone looked at each other.

"I'll read." Hades said.

" Let's get this over with." Hades sighed,** "Leo V." **

Everyone groaned.

Leo on the other hand grinned," It's in my point of view."

"Yeah but what happened to Piper Sammy." Hazel asked.

"Sammy?" Leo asked confused.

Hazel blinked then blushed," Nothing."

Leo blinked.

Percy and Frank exchanged a look.

**Leo's tour was going great until he learned about the dragon.**

"What. . .oh." Percy said," That dragon."

Everyone looked at Percy with curious eyes.

"What dragon?" Poseidon asked his favorite son.

"You'll see."

Everyone groaned.

**The archer dude, Will Solace, **

"Archer dude?" Will asked Leo.

Leo shrugged then grinned.

**seemed pretty cool.**

"Okay I forgive you." Will said smiling.

** Everything he showed Leo was so amazing, it should've been illegal. Real Greek warships moored at the beach that sometimes had practice fights with flaming arrows and explosives? Sweet! **

Piper shook her head," That's so you."

Leo grinned.

**Arts & crafts sessions where you could make sculptures with chain saws and blowtorches? Leo was like, ****_Sign me up! _**

"I think we should be careful with him and blowtorches." Hermes said looking at Leo.

Piper and Jason snorted.

Leo was a human blowtorch.

**The woods were stocked with dangerous monsters, and no one should ever go in there alone? Nice!**

"I think you're a little too excited about everything son." Hephaestus said.

"Nope. He's just really ADHD." Jason said.

Leo nodded.

** And the camp was overflowing with fine-looking girls. **

Artemis glared at the son of Hephaestus.

**Leo didn't quite understand the whole related-to-the-gods business, but he hoped that didn't mean he was cousins with all these ladies. **

"They are your cousins and you can date them as long as there not in your cabin." Annabeth said.

Leo's eyes brightened.

**That would suck. At the very least, he wanted to check out those underwater girls in the lake again. They were definitely worth drowning for.**

Everyone snorted.

**Will showed him the cabins, the dining pavilion, and the sword arena.**

"All very important." Percy said.

Everyone nodded.

Nobody thought he was thinking, sleep, food, and sword fighting.

**"Do I get a sword?" Leo asked.**

"You'll probably make one." Apollo said.

**Will glanced at him like he found the idea disturbing.**

Everyone laughed.

Will blushed.

** "You'll probably make your own, seeing as how you're in Cabin Nine."**

Apollo smiled at his son.

Will still had a light blush on his cheeks.

**"Yeah, what's up with that? Vulcan?"**

"That's the roman name." Athena said.

**"Usually we don't call the gods by their Roman names," Will said. "The original names are Greek. Your dad is Hephaestus."**

"Yep," Leo said popping the 'p'.

**"Festus?" Leo had heard somebody say that before, but he was still dismayed.**

"Isn't that the name of. . . " Jason trailed off.

Leo waved it off.

** "Sounds like the god of cowboys."**

"Son. . . " Hephaestus frowned.

Leo grinned sheepishly.

**"****_He-_****phaestus," Will corrected. "God of blacksmiths and fire."**

"Well I'm good at _both_ of those." Leo said.

Everyone looked at him thinking, _What was that suppose to mean?_

**Leo had heard that too, but he was trying not to think about it. The god of fire … seriously? Considering what had happened to his mom, that seemed like a sick joke.**

Hephaestus looked at his son," What happened to your mother?"

Leo looked down guilt eating at his heart.

_It was his fault. . ._

**"So the flaming hammer over my head," Leo said. "Good thing, or bad thing?"**

"Good thing." Piper said.

"Defiantly." Jason said grinning at his best friend.

Leo gave them a cheeky grin.

**Will took a while to answer. "You were claimed almost immediately. That's usually good."**

"That is good." Annabeth nodded to Will.

Will nodded back.

**"But that Rainbow Pony dude, Butch**

Everyone cracked up at that.

"I'm so telling Butch that." Travis said laughing.

Connor nodded in agreement.

**—he mentioned a curse."**

Everyone sobered at the mention of a curse.

Most didn't even know what it meant.

A curse was bad thought, right?

**"Ah … look, it's nothing. Since Cabin Nine's last head counselor died—"**

Everyone looked down sadly.

Beckendorf . . .

**"Died? Like, painfully?"**

"Leo." Annabeth scolded.

Leo smiled sheepishly.

**"I ought to let your bunkmates tell you about it."**

"I don't know. Wouldn't it be hard for them to tell him. I mean he died about a couple months before that." Chris asked.

Will shrugged," I just didn't want to tell him."

**"Yeah, where ****_are _****my home dawgs? **

"Really Leo?" Piper asked.

**Shouldn't their counselor be giving me the VIP tour?"**

"He was. . . busy." Annabeth said.

"Yep he was_ real_ busy Annabeth." Will said.

**"He, um, can't. You'll see why." Will forged ahead before Leo could ask anything else.**

"Thanks Will." Leo said sarcastically.

**"Curses and death," Leo said to himself. "This just gets better and better."**

"You know talking to yourself is a sign of insanity." Annabeth said matter of factly.

"I'm not. . . nevermind." Leo said.

Everyone snorted.

**He was halfway across the green when he spotted his old babysitter.**

"Wait, What?" Hermes asked.

Everyone was thinking the same thing.

** And she was ****_not _****the kind of person he expected to see at a demigod camp.**

"Yeah. What's he/she doing there?" Zeus said.

**Leo froze in his tracks.**

**"What's wrong?" Will asked.**

"Many things." Leo said darkly.

Nobody caught what he said though.

**Tia Callida— ****_Auntie _****Callida. That's what she'd called herself, but Leo hadn't seen her since he was five years old. **

"Then why are you seeing her?" Hephaestus asked worried that his child was going insane.

"She's someone you know." Leo said cryptically.

**She was just standing there, in the shadow of a big white cabin at the end of the green, watching him. **

"Zeus and Gera's cabins." Athena said looking at the queen and king of the gods.

**She wore her black linen widow's dress, with a black shawl pulled over her hair. Her face hadn't changed—leathery skin, piercing dark eyes.**

Athena looked around at the gods.

_Hera. . . no it can't be._

** Her withered hands were like claws. She looked ancient, but no different than Leo remembered.**

**"That old lady …" Leo said. "What's she doing here?"**

"I didn't see her." Will said.

**Will tried to follow his gaze. "What old lady?"**

"What's going on?" Demeter asked.

Nobody had a clue.

Well except for the people who knew. . .

**"Dude, ****_the _****old lady. The one in black. How many old ladies do you see over there?"**

"None." Will said.

**Will frowned. "I think you've had a long day, Leo. The Mist could still be playing tricks on your mind. How about we head straight to your cabin now?"**

"There was nothing there." Will said.

"Well she was there." Leo said.

**Leo wanted to protest, but when he looked back toward the big white cabin, Tia Callida was gone. **

"And she disappears." Connor said rolling his eyes.

"That's covenant." Travis said sarcastically.

**He was ****_sure _****she'd been there, almost as if thinking about his mom had summoned Callida back from the past.**

Leo looked down at the mention of his mom.

_Fire. . ._

**And that wasn't good, because Tía Callida had tried to kill him.**

Everyone's eyes widened.

"What?!" Was yelled by many people.

**"Just messing with you, man." **

"Riggghhht." Travis said.

Leo glared at him.

**Leo pulled some gears and levers from his pockets and started fiddling with them to calm his nerves. **

"I noticed a lot of the kids in cabin nine does that." Annabeth said thoughtfully.

**He couldn't have everybody at camp thinking he was crazy. **

"You are crazy repair boy." Piper said.

"Thanks Piper."

**At least, not crazier than he really was.**

"And you admit it." Jason said grinning.

**"Let's go see Cabin Nine," he said. "I'm in the mood for a good curse."**

Everyone snorted.

**From the outside, the Hephaestus cabin looked like an oversize RV with shiny metal walls and metal-slatted windows. The entrance was like a bank vault door, circular and several feet thick. It opened with lots of brass gears turning and hydraulic pistons blowing smoke.**

"That's actually pretty cool." Frank said.

Leo grinned at him.

**Leo whistled. "They got a steam punk theme going on, huh?"**

Everyone laughed.

Hephaestus looked at his son and raised and eyebrow.

**Inside, the cabin seemed deserted. Steel bunks were folded against the walls like high-tech Murphy beds. Each had a digital control panel, blinking LED lights, glowing gems, and interlocking gears. **

"It sounds so high-tech." Travis whistled.

**Leo figured each camper had his own combination lock to release his bed, **

"Or her." Thalia pointed out.

**and there was probably an alcove behind it with storage, maybe some traps to keep out unwanted visitors. At least, that's the way Leo would've designed it. **

"You have good idea's son. "Hephaestus said approvingly.

Leo smiled toothily.

**A fire pole came down from the second floor, even though the cabin didn't appear to ****_have _****a second floor from the outside. **

"What?" All the demigods said at once.

They didn't have a second floor.

"The Hephaestus cabin is awesome." Leo said.

**A circular staircase led down into some kind of basement. **

"They have a basement too?" Travis said jealous.

"Man I wish are cabin was like that years ago. We could have fit way more campers." Connor said.

**The walls were lined with every kind of power tool Leo could imagine, plus a huge assortment of knives, swords, and other implements of destruction. ****A large workbench overflowed with scrap metal—screws, bolts, washers, nails, rivets, and a million other machine parts. **

Leo looked at the book longingly.

**Leo had a strong urge to shovel them all into his coat pockets. He loved that kind of stuff. But he'd need a hu****ndred more coats to fit it all.**

"Wow." Hermes whistled," That's a lot of scrap metal."

Travis and Connor turned to each other.

Then they grinned.

**Looking around, he could almost imagine he was back in his mom's machine shop. **

Hephaestus smiled.

**Not the weapons, maybe—but the tools, the piles of scrap, the smell of grease and metal and hot engines. She would've loved this place.**

"Yes. She would." Leo said sadly.

Jason patted his friend on the back.

Leo gave him a grateful look.

**He pushed that thought away. He didn't like painful memories. **

"I don't think anyone does." Percy said.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

**_Keep moving—_****that was his motto. Don't dwell on things. Don't stay in one place too long. It was the only way to stay ahead of the sadness.**

"I don't think that's the right way to do things. . . " Hestia said softly.

Leo looked at the goddess of the hearth.

**He picked a long implement from the wall. "A weed whacker? What's the god of fire want with a weed whacker?"**

"You'd be surprised." Hephaestus said.

**A voice in the shadows said, "You'd be surprised."**

Hephaestus blinked.

"Well that's creepy." Travis said.

Katie rolled her eyes.

**At the back of the room, one of the bunk beds was occupied. A curtain of dark camouflage material retracted, and Leo could see the guy who'd been invisible a second before. It was hard to tell much about him because he was covered in a body cast. **

"What happened?" Hephaestus asked.

**His head was wrapped in gauze except for his face, which was puffy and bruised. He looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy after a beat-down.**

Even in the situation many in the throne room laughed.

**"I'm Jake Mason," the guy said. "I'd shake your hand, but …"**

"Yeah he can't." Percy said.

"Way to state the obvious Seaweed brain." Annabeth said rolling her eyes.

**"Yeah," Leo said. "Don't get up."**

"That would be a good idea." Apollo said.

He was the god of medicine after all.

**The guy cracked a smile, then winced like it hurt to move his face. Leo wondered what had happened to him, but he was afraid to ask.**

Everyone winced.

That sounded painful.

**"Welcome to Cabin Nine," Jake said. "Been almost a year since we had any new kids. I'm head counselor for now."**

**"For now?" Leo asked.**

"Leo maybe you shouldn't have asked that." Piper said.

Leo shrugged.

**Will Solace cleared his throat. "So where is everybody, Jake?"**

"Nice change of the subject Will." Hermes said.

Will blushed.

**"Down at the forges," Jake said wistfully. "They're working on … you know, that problem."**

"It would suck to not be able to do stuff that you love." Travis said.

Katie looked at him.

Did he just say something kinda deep?

"Wait what problem?" Apollo asked.

He was ignored.

**"Oh." Will changed the subject. "So, you got a spare bed for Leo?"**

**Jake studied Leo, sizing him up. "You believe in curses, Leo? Or ghosts?"**

"Pfft. No." Leo said.

"But you just saw your probably should be dead babysitter." Connor pointed out.

**_I just saw my evil babysitter Tía Callida_, Leo thought. She's ****_got _****to be dead after all these years. **

Connor raised an eyebrow at Leo.

Chris rolled his eyes at his half brothers antics.

**And I can't go a day without remembering my mom in that machine shop fire.**

"Your mom died in a fire? "Jason asked," I never knew that."

"Yeah." Leo said quietly.

That worried Jason.

Leo was_ never_ quiet.

** Don't talk to me about ghosts, doughboy.**

Everyone laughed and Leo went back to his usual grinning self.

**But aloud, he said, "Ghosts? Pfft. Nah. I'm cool. A storm spirit chucked me down the Grand Canyon this morning, but you know, all in a day's work, right?"**

Everyone snorted.

"That's Leo for you." Piper said.

**Jake nodded. "That's good. Because I'll give you the best bed in the cabin—Beckendorf's."**

Everyone looked down.

"I don't know about that decision. . . ." Percy said trailing off.

**"Whoa, Jake," Will said. "You sure?"**

**Jake called out: "Bunk 1-A, please."**

"He sounds sure." Katie said.

**The whole cabin rumbled. A circular section of the floor spiraled open like a camera lens, and a full-size bed popped up. **

Everyone's jaw dropped.

**The bronze frame had a built-in game station at the footboard, a stereo system in the headboard, a glass-door refrigerator mounted into the base, and a whole bunch of control panels running down the side.**

"That is the coolest bed I ever heard." Travis said eyes wide.

"The Hephaestus cabin gets all the cool stuff." Connor said.

Everyone was staring at the book in amazement.

**Leo jumped right in and lay back with arms behind his head. "I can handle this."**

Some bit their lips.

**"It retracts into a private room below," Jake said.**

Even more jaws dropped.

"They have their own rooms?!" Travis yelled.

"I just realized something. Remember Selina and Beckendorf would be in his cabin. They would just go down to his room and be together." Percy said.

Travis and Connor looked at each other then snickered.

Katie smacked both upside the head.

Thalia did the same for good measure.

**"Oh, heck, yes," Leo said. "See y'all. I'll be down in the Leo Cave. Which button do I press?"**

"Leo cave?" Hermes laughed.

Everyone else laughed too.

**"Hold on," Will Solace protested. "You guys have private underground rooms?"**

Everyone laughed because Will had the same reaction as them.

Will blushed a faint pink.

He couldn't wait for when he was done being in the story.

**Jake probably would've smiled if it didn't hurt so much. "We got lots of secrets, Will. You Apollo guys can't have all the fun. Our campers have been excavating the tunnel system under Cabin Nine for almost a century. We still haven't found the end.**

"Wow. That must be a lot of tunnels." Poseidon whistled.

Hephaestus smiled.

** Anyway, Leo, if you don't mind sleeping in a dead man's bed, it's yours."**

"I bet that ruined the vision that was called the Leo cave." Nico snorted.

**Suddenly Leo didn't feel like kicking back. He sat up, careful not to touch any of the buttons. **

"See?" Nico said proud of himself.

"Nobody doubted you death breath." Thalia said.

Nico blushed.

**"The counselor who died—this was his bed?"**

**"Yeah," Jake said. "Charles Beckendorf."**

Hephaestus sighed.

Charles was a good son.

_A perfect son . . ._

Hephaestus looked at Leo and smiled.

_Maybe I can deal with the loss_, Hephaestus thought.

**Leo imagined saw blades coming through the mattress, or maybe a grenade sewn inside the pillows. **

"Now that's just your imagination." Annabeth said.

"I don't know, was it?" Leo said raising his eyebrows mischievously.

Annabeth eyed him suspiciously.

**"He didn't, like, die ****_in _****this bed, did he?"**

"No." Percy said.

**"No," Jake said. "In the Titan War, last summer."**

**"The Titan War," Leo repeated, "which has ****_nothing _****to do with this very fine bed?"**

Everyone snorted.

"Oh Leo." Piper said.

Leo grinned.

**"The Titans," Will said, like Leo was an idiot. "The big powerful guys that ruled the world before the gods. They tried to make a comeback last summer. Their leader, Kronos, built a new palace on top of Mount Tam in California. Their armies came to New York and almost destroyed Mount Olympus. A lot of demigods died trying to stop them."**

There was a moment of silence for the heros who died for Olympus.

**"I'm guessing this wasn't on the news?" Leo said.**

Everyone stared at Leo.

**It seemed like a fair question, but Will shook his head in disbelief. "You didn't hear about Mount St. Helens erupting, **

Percy smiled sheepishly," My bad."

Hazel and Frank stared at him.

They heard the stories but never would they think. . .

**or the freak storms across the country, or that building collapsing in St. Louis?"**

Percy looked a little guilty.

**Leo shrugged. Last summer, he'd been on the run from another foster home. **

Everyone looked at Leo.

Why did he run away?

**Then a truancy officer caught him in New Mexico, and the court sentenced him to the nearest correctional f****acility—the Wilderness School. "Guess I was busy."**

"Sounds like you were busy punk." Clarisse growled.

Everyone eyed her for a second.

**"Doesn't matter," Jake said. "You were lucky to miss it. The thing is, Beckendorf was one of the first casualties, and ever since then—"**

Percy looked down.

He still felt guilty about that.

Annabeth gave him a kiss on the cheek," It wasn't your fault."

Percy nodded slowly.

**"Your cabin's been cursed," Leo guessed.**

The Demigods nodded.

**Jake didn't answer. Then again, the dude was in a body cast. That ****_was _****an answer. **

"Yeah that does kinds tell you all you need to know." Hades said.

**Leo started noticing little things that he hadn't seen before—an explosion mark on the wall, a stain on the floor that might've been oil … or blood. **

"Kinda like a horror movie." Travis said.

"Well I know one thing, don't go in the closet Leo." Connor said.

Everyone rolled their eyes at them.

**Broken swords and smashed machines kicked into the corners of the room, maybe out of frustration. The place ****_did _****feel unlucky.**

"The place_ looks_ unlucky." Hermes said.

**Jake sighed halfheartedly. "Well, I should get some sleep. **

"Yes. He'll need rest to recover." Apollo said.

**I hope you like it here, Leo. It used to be … really nice."**

"It is nice." Leo said.

**He closed his eyes, and the camouflage curtain drew itself across the bed.**

"I wonder if it closes when he closes his eyes." Percy said.

Annabeth shrugged," It's a possibility."

**"Come on, Leo," Will said. "I'll take you to the forges."**

Hephaestus perked up at the mention of the word forges.

Leo did too.

**As they were leaving, Leo looked back at his new bed, and he could almost imagine a dead counselor sitting there—another ghost who wasn't going to leave Leo alone.**

"Done." Hades said looking up at everyone in the room.

"I guess I'll read next." Clarisse growled.

She walked up to Hades and took the book.

She turned to the next chapter.

* * *

**I hope you liked the chapter.**

**Please tell me by reviewing**

**Sorry for the rant up top, I was frustrated.**

**See you again soon**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hope you like the chapter and it's okay for you guys.**

**Sorry it took a while I had a busy couple, Actually more than a couple, of days.**

**It's pretty short like the previous but I hope it's good for you guys.**

**( why are Leo's pov's short so far. He has the best chapters out of all the book -.-)**

**Oh and please vote on the poll( it's a different one)**

**Oh and also I don't know if I'll be able to update tomorrow I have plans with my mom and aunt. But i'll try to get it close or done tomorrow.**

**Enjoy**

* * *

**"Leo VI"** Clarisse read.

Leo grinned.

**"How did he die?" Leo asked. "I mean Beckendorf."**

"You had to ask." Hephaestus said.

Leo smiled sheepishly at his father.

**Will Solace trudged ahead. "Explosion.**

Percy winced.

** Beckendorf and Percy Jackson blew up a cruise ship full of monsters. Beckendorf didn't make it out."**

Everyone looked down sadly.

**There was that name again—Percy Jackson, Annabeth's missing boyfriend. **

Percy kissed Annabeth's cheek.

Annabeth smiled at him.

Aphrodite smiled.

**That guy must've been into everything around here, Leo thought.**

"Yeah and some of it wasn't his choice." Annabeth said.

"Yeah but a lot was his choice." Nico pointed out.

Annabeth gave his a look.

"What? You know it true."

**"So Beckendorf was pretty popular?" Leo asked. "I mean —before he blew up?"**

"Yes. He was the best." Percy said.

They demigods that knew the old son of Hephaestus nodded in agreement.

"He sounds like a cool guy." Leo said sadly.

**"He was awesome," Will agreed. "It was hard on the whole camp when he died. Jake—he became head counselor in the middle of the war. **

"It's hard." Will said," To do that."

**Same as I did, actually. Jake did his best, but he never wanted to be leader.**

" I wouldn't want to be either." Hazel whispered.

** He just likes building stuff. **

"It is fun to build things." Leo said dreaming.

He pulled same wires and scraps of metal from his pocket and started putting them together.

Hephaestus smiled at his son, proud.

**Then after the war, things started to go wrong. Cabin Nine's chariots blew up.**

Percy winced," That was nasty."

** Their automatons went haywire. Their inventions started to malfunction.**

"A lot of their inventions and automatons attacked people in camp." Annabeth said.

"Well that's not good." Hermes said.

The others nodded.

** It was like a curse, and eventually people started calling it that—the Curse of Cabin Nine. Then Jake had his accident—"**

"What happened exactly?" Poseidon asked.

"It wasn't good." Percy said grimacing.

**"Which had something to do with the problem he mentioned," Leo guessed.**

"It was a big problem" Will informed the gods and demigods in the room.

_Was?_

**"They're working on it," Will said without enthusiasm. "And here we are."**

"You think my kids can't handle the problem?" Hephaestus( First time I spelled that right without spellcheck! Woop!) said turning to Will.

"No it's not that." Will said quickly.

Apollo face palmed.

**The forge looked like a steam-powered locomotive had smashed into the Greek Parthenon and they had fused together.**

"That's. . . a unusal way to think about it." Athena said after a moment of thought.

Leo grinned at the goddess of wisdom.

Some in the room rolled their eyes.

( Take a guess ; D )

** White marble columns lined the soot-stained walls. Chimneys pumped smoke over an elaborate gable carved with a bunch of gods and monsters.**

( when I first read I didn't notice. . .huh. . . )

**The building sat at the edge of a stream, with several waterwheels turning a series of bronze gears. Leo heard machinery grinding inside, fires roaring, and hammers ringing on anvils.**

"And the Hephaestus cabin building away." Percy said raising his hand in the air dramatically.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

Athena took a breath.

"Needs more cereal in this story." Demeter commented.

Hades groaned loudly at the words.

He was going to wack that lady pretty soon.

_If she says it one more time. . . ._

**They stepped through the doorway, and a dozen guys and girls who'd been working on various projects all froze. The noise died down to the roar of the forge and the ****_click-click-click _****of gears and levers.**

"Well, all I can say is. . . ." Travis paused for effect," awkward."

Everyone rolled their eyes at him.

Katie smacked his shoulder.

Connor gave his brother a high-five.

**"'Sup, guys," Will said. "This is your new brother, Leo—um, what's your last name?"**

Hazel looked at the book.

_Was it. . . ._

**"Valdez."**

Hazel let out a squeak.

"Hazel? You okay?" Frank asked worriedly.

Hazel visably shook herself," Yeah."

_Valdez. . . .how . . ._

** Leo looked around at the other campers. Was he really related to all of them?**

"Yes demigod." Zeus said off handily.

He was looking at Hera.

Whatever he was thinking. . .

** His cousins came from some big families,**

Some eyebrows.

** but he'd always just had his mom—until she died.**

Leo closed his eyes.

_Fire. . ._

Jason grimaced and patted Leo of the shoulder.

Leo gave him a smile.

_Didn't make it. . ._

**Kids came up and started shaking hands and introducing themselves. **

"Well that's a pretty good welcome." Poseidon said.

Everyone nodded.

Ares looked like he was about to fall asleep.

**Their names blurred together: Shane, ****Christopher, Nyssa, **

"She's kinda the backup for Jake." Annabeth informed them.

Everyone nodded.

**Harley (yeah, like the motorcycle).**

"Cool name." Chris analyzed.

"You never heard his name before." Clarisse said turning to her boyfriend.

"Yeah. I was just saying it was a cool name." Chris said.

** Leo knew he'd never keep everybody straight. Too many of them. Too overwhelming.**

The Hermes kids nodded in understanding.

Before Percy's promise with the gods and everyone in the cabin went to their own cabin it was overwhelming knowing all the names.

most of the time you didn't remember and called them something like: Nate when there name was really: Zach.

**None of them looked like the others—all different face types, skin tone, hair color, height. You'd never think, ****_Hey, look, it's the Hephaestus Bunch!_**

Everyone snorted at that.

"Only you Leo." Jason said shaking his head in amusement.

**But they all had powerful hands, rough with calluses and stained with engine grease. **

"Working in the forges has that effect." Annabeth said.

"We knew that Wise girl." Percy said.

Annabeth glared at him.

"Love you too."

Aphrodite squealed.

**Even little Harley, who couldn't have been more than eight,**

"Harley is pretty buff for an eight year old." Travis said.

** looked like he could go six rounds with Chuck Norris without breaking a sweat.**

Hermes whistled," Wow."

Apollo on the other hand was leaning 'inconspicuously' away from Hephaestus.

**And all the kids shared a sad kind of seriousness. Their shoulders slumped like life had beaten them down pretty hard. **

Hephaestus got a look that pretty much said, _What happened to his children?_

**Several looked like they'd been physi****cally beaten up, too. **

Everyone winced.

That wasn't good.

**Leo counted two arm slings, one pair of crutches, an eye patch, six Ace bandages, and about seven thousand Band-Aids.**

"That's a lot of injures in one cabin." Hades said.

"Someone from the Hephaestus cabin was always in the infirmary." Will said.

Everyone grimaced.

That didn't sound fun. At all.

**"Well, all right!" Leo said. "I hear this is the party cabin!"**

Everyone stared at Leo like he came from outer space.

**Nobody laughed. They all just stared at him.**

Like many in the throne room were doing now.

**Will Solace patted Leo's shoulder. "I'll leave you guys to get acquainted. Somebody show Leo to dinner when it's time?"**

Apollo's mouth watered," Dinner."

"You just ate lunch a little while ago." Artemis said to her twin.

"So?" Apollo said.

Artemis rolled her eyes.

**"I got it," one of the girls said. Nyssa, Leo remembered.**

"Hey you remembered even though you said you couldn't. Good job!" Annabeth said.

"Thanks." Leo said grinning.

Annabeth smirked.

"Wait . . . Hey!" Leo said getting the insult.

Annabeth laughed.

** She wore camo pants, a tank top that showed off her buff arms, and a red bandanna over a mop of dark hair.**

"She wears that all the time." Leo said.

Everyone that sees her around at camp nodded with Leo.

** Except for the smiley-face Band-Aid on her chin, **

Travis's lips went into a thin line because he was trying not to laugh at the image.

Some others couldn't hold it though.

Laughter filled the throne room.

Travis couldn't hold it in anymore.

He cracked up.

**she looked like one of those female action heroes, like any second she was going to grab a machine gun and start mowing down evil aliens.**

"Evil aliens?" Athena said staring at Leo.

Nobody heard her because they were too busy laughing.

**"Cool," Leo said. "I always wanted a sister who could beat me up."**

Everyone laughed even louder.

"Only Leo would say that." Piper said.

**Nyssa didn't smile. "Come on, joker boy. I'll show you around."**

"Good ol' Nyssa." Connor said.

**Leo was no stranger to workshops. ****He'd grown up around grease monkeys and power tools.**

Hephaestus gazed at his son.

He knew there was more too him.

What it was he would find out soon enough.

** His mom used to joke that his first pacifier was a lug wrench. **

"Well it might have been a joke. . . " Leo trailed off.

Everyone stared at him.

**But he'd never seen any place like the camp forge.**

"It is amazing." Percy said.

The demigods and even the gods nodded.

**One guy was working on a battle-ax. **

Ares snorted awake.

Clarisse looked up interested.

**He kept testing the blade on a slab of concrete. Each time he swung, the ax cut into the slab like it was warm cheese,**

"Wow sharp." Hermes said.

** but the guy looked unsatisfied and went back to honing the edge.**

"But apparently not sharp enough." Hermes added.

**"What's he planning to kill with that thing?" Leo asked Nyssa. "A battleship?"**

"I don't think that's possible." Athena said thoughtfully.

**"You never know. Even with Celestial bronze—"**

**"That's the metal?"**

"Yep." Connor and Travis said.

**She nodded. "Mined from Mount Olympus itself. Extremely rare.**

"Isn't Imperial gold rarer?" Jason asked.

Annabeth shrugged.

She didn't have a clue.

** Anyway, it usually disintegrates monsters on contact, but big powerful ones have notoriously tough hides. **

"Yeah found that out the hard way." Percy said.

Everyone thought back at those Percy moments.

( you can too if you want. . . .)

**Drakons, for instances—"**

**"You mean dragons?"**

"Nope. Drakons." Percy said.

Everyone shivered at the reemergence of the drakon in the precise book.

**"Similar species. You'll learn the difference in monster-fighting class."**

"A very important class." Artemis said.

Artemis smiled at her hunter.

Thalia grinned back.

**"Monster-fighting class. Yeah, I already got my black belt in that."**

Everyone snorted.

**She didn't crack a smile. Leo hoped she wasn't this serious all the time. **

"I think I saw her smile. . . ." Leo trailed off**.**

**His dad's side of the family had to have ****_some _****sense of humor, right?**

"Yes. . . " Percy said.

"Just not right then." Annabeth said biting her lip.

"Well considering." Poseidon said.

**They passed a couple of guys making a bronze windup toy.**

Some raised their eyebrows.

** At least that's what it looked like. It was a six-inch-tall centaur—half man, half horse**

"We know what a centaur is Lucas." Dionysus said to his magazine.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

** —armed with a miniature bow. One of the campers cranked the centaur's tail, and it whirred to life.**

Travis and Connor looked at each other.

_Crank a centaurs tail . . . ._

** It galloped across the table, yelling, "Die, mosquito! Die, mosquito!" and shooting everything in sight.**

"Well that's not good." Poseidon said.

"Really?" Athena said sarcastically.

Poseidon glared at her.

Athena smirked.

**Apparently this had happened before, because everybody knew to hit the floor except Leo. Six needle-sized arrows embedded themselves in his shirt**

"Ouch." Apollo winced.

** before a camper grabbed a hammer and smashed the centaur to pieces.**

"That's kinda sad." Hermes said.

**"Stupid curse!" The camper waved his hammer at the sky. "I just want a magic bug killer! Is that too much to ask?"**

"Apparently." Apollo said helpfully.

Artemis smacked him upside the head.

"Ow!"

Hephaestus looked at the book worried.

**"Ouch," Leo said.**

**Nyssa pulled the needles out of his shirt. "Ah, you're fine. Let's move on before they rebuild it."**

"That would be wise." Athena said approvingly.

**Leo rubbed his chest as they walked. "That sort of thing happen a lot?"**

"Well it didn't." Annabeth said.

**"Lately," Nyssa said, "everything we build turns to junk."**

"Poor junk." Travis said sadly.

Katie whacked him.

**"The curse?"**

**Nyssa frowned. "I don't believe in curses. But ****_something's _****wrong. And if we don't figure out the dragon problem, it's gonna get even worse."**

"So it about a dragon!" Apollo said rasing from his chair and his fist in the air.

Artemis hissed at him, "Sit down."

**"The dragon problem?" Leo hoped she was talking about a miniature dragon, maybe one that killed cockroaches, but he got the feeling he wasn't going to be so lucky.**

Everyone laughed.

"Yeah you're not that lucky." Percy said.

Others looked at them in confusion.

**Nyssa took him over to a big wall map that a couple of girls were studying. **

Some tilted their heads to the side.

**The map showed the camp—a semicircle of land with Long Island Sound on the north shore, the woods to the west, the cabins to the east, and a ring of hills to the south.**

"The camp is beautiful." Percy said wistfully.

Nobody heard him say," I miss it."

**"It's got to be in the hills," the first girl said.**

**"We ****_looked _****in the hills," the second argued. "The woods are a better hiding place."**

Athena nodded already fingering out what the problem was.

**"But we already set traps—"**

**"Hold up," Leo said. "You guys lost a dragon? A ****_real _****full-size dragon?"**

Some that didn't figure it out yet ( you know who they are) gasped in shock.

**"It's a bronze dragon," Nyssa said. "But yes, it's a life-size automaton. **

"Wow." Hermes said," The things I could have done with that."

Everyone gave him a look.

**Hephaestus cabin built it years ago. Then it was lost in the woods until a few summers back, when Beckendorf found it in pieces and rebuilt it.**

Percy smiled," It was when Selina and Beckendorf stared dating."

Aphrodite squealed at the information.

** It's been helping protect the camp, but, um, it's a little unpredictable."**

**"Unpredictable," Leo said.**

"Unpredictable isn't the word for it." Percy said thoughtfully.

**"It goes haywire and smashes down cabins, sets people on fire, tries to eat the satyrs."**

Everyone that hadn't seen it eyes widened.

"What?" Was heard around the huge throne room echoing off the walls.

**"That's pretty unpredictable."**

Snorts were heard around the room.

**Nyssa nodded. "Beckendorf was the only one who could control it. Then he died, and the dragon just got worse and worse. **

Everyone took a deep breath.

**Finally it went berserk and ran off. Occasionally it shows up, demolishes something, and runs away again. Everyone expects us to find it and destroy it—"**

"Destroy it?" Zeus asked sitting up in his throne.

"Yes destroy it." Leo said grinning.

Grinning?

**" ****_Destroy _****it?" Leo was appalled. "You've got a life-size bronze dragon, and you want to ****_destroy _****it?"**

"It is kinda sad." Annabeth admitted leaning into a happy Percy.

He kissed her cheek.

**"It breathes fire," Nyssa explained. "It's deadly and out of control."**

"Like the Stolls." Katie joked.

Travis and Connor gasped," Were hurt."

Katie rolled her eyes at them but smiled all the same.

**"But it's a dragon! Dude, that's so awesome. Can't you try talking to it, controlling it?"**

"Tried that." Annabeth said not turning away from looking into Percy's sea green eyes.

**"We tried. Jake Mason tried. You saw how well that worked."**

"So that's. . . " Apollo trailed off.

"The demigods that were there nodded.

The other winced.

**Leo thought about Jake, wrapped in a body cast, lying alone on his bunk. "Still—"**

"And you are going on about the dragon." Piper said.

Leo shrugged.

**"There's no other option." Nyssa turned to the other girls. "Let's try more traps in the woods—here, here, and here. Bait them with thirty-weight motor oil."**

"That's a weird thing to drink." Hermes said.

"He is a giant metal dragon." Demeter said.

**"The dragon drinks that?" Leo asked.**

**"Yeah." Nyssa sighed regretfully. "He used to like it with a little Tabasco sauce, right before bed. **

"Tabasco sauce?" Poseidon asked.

He was ignored.

**If he springs a trap, we can come in with acid sprayers—should melt through his hide.****Then we get metal cutters and … and finish the job."**

"That would be a horrible way to die." Nobody knew who said it but it rang true.

"It a shame to kill the thing." Apollo said sadly.

Jason, Piper and Leo shared a knowing look.

**They all looked sad. Leo realized they didn't want to kill the dragon any more than he did.**

Hephaestus sighed.

**"Guys," he said. "There has to be another way."**

"How?" Athena asked the book.

Nobody mentioned it though.

**Nyssa looked doubtful, but a few other campers stopped what they were working on and drifted over to hear the conversation.**

Travis leaned over to Katie and whispered in her ear," I would to."

Katie rolled her eyes and pushed him away playfully.

**"Like what?" one asked. "The thing breathes fire. We can't even get close."**

Leo smirked.

**_Fire,_ Leo thought._ Oh, man, the things he could tell them about fire…_ But he had to be careful, even if these were his brothers and sisters.**

"Be careful about what?" Frank asked suspiciously.

"You'll see." Leo said.

**_Especially _****if he had to live with them.**

"I don't know about that way of thinking. . . " Athena trailed off.

**"Well …" He hesitated. "Hephaestus is the god of fire, right? So don't any of you have like fire resistance or something?"**

"A long time ago they were about to, well actually it was rare, but they were dangerous." Annabeth said.

**Nobody acted as if it was a crazy question, which was a relief, but Nyssa shook her head gravely.**

Everyone sighed.

**"That's a Cyclops ability, Leo. Demigod children of Hephaestus … we're just good with our hands. We're builders, craftsmen, weaponsmiths—stuff like that."**

**Leo's shoulders slumped. "Oh."**

Some of the gods raised their eyebrows.

What was Leo thinking?

**A guy in back said, "Well, a long ****_time _****ago—"**

**"Yeah, okay," Nyssa conceded.**

"Way to interrupt." Travis said pouting childishly.

** "A long time ago some children of Hephaestus were born with power over fire. But that ability was very, very rare. And always dangerous. **

Annabeth had her 'told you' look on her face.

Percy kissed her.

Annabeth pulled away," What was that for?"

Percy shrugged.

**No demigod like that has been born in centuries. The last one …" She looked at one of the other kids for help.**

**"Sixteen sixty-six," the girl offered. **

"Wow that's a long time." Apollo whistled.

**"Guy named Thomas Faynor. He started the Great Fire of London, destroyed most of the city."**

Same eyes when wide.

"He did what?" Frank squeaked.

He didn't like Fire.

**"Right," Nyssa said. "When a child of Hephaestus like that appears, it usually means something catastrophic is about to happen. And we don't need any more catastrophes."**

Leo looked around innocently.

Nobody caught it except for Piper and Jason.

**Leo tried to keep his face clear of emotion, which wasn't his strong suit. "I guess I see your point. Too bad, though. If you could resist flames, you could get close to the dragon."**

"Yes you could." Athena said looking at Leo.

_Something was fishy. . . wait don't think about Poseidon's domain!_

**"Then it would kill you with its claws and fangs," Nyssa said. "Or simply step on you. No, we've got to destroy it. Trust me, if anyone ****_could _****figure out another answer …"**

"They sound so desperate." Artemis said.

"They were." Leo said.

**She didn't finish, but Leo got the message. This was the cabin's big test. If they could do something only Beckendorf could do, if they could subdue the dragon without killing it, then maybe their curse would be lifted. But they were stumped for ideas. Any camper who figured out how would be a hero.**

"A huge hero." Leo said grinning.

Piper gave him a 'really?' look.

Leo just grinned wider.

**A conch horn blew in the distance.**

"Time for dinner." Apollo said dreamily.

** Campers started putting up their tools and projects. Leo hadn't realized it was getting so late, but he looked through the windows and saw the sun going down. **

"Wow time passed quick." Aphrodite said offhandedly while she looked in her hand-held mirror.

Piper sighed.

**His ADHD did that to him sometimes. If he was bored, a fifty-minute class seemed like six hours. If he was interested in something, like touring a demigod camp, hours slipped away and ****_bam—_****the day was over.**

"I hate that." Was heard from many of the demigods.

Frank didn't join in though.

**"Dinner," Nyssa said. "Come on, Leo."**

**"Up at the pavilion, right?" he asked.**

"Yep. That's were the food is." Percy said.

**She nodded.**

**"You guys go ahead," Leo said. "Can you … give me a second?"**

Athena raised an eyebrow.

**Nyssa hesitated. Then her expression softened. "Sure. It's a lot to process. I remember my first day. Come up when you're ready.**

"She wasn't as bad as Percy though." Annabeth said.

Percy pouted.

** Just don't touch anything. Almost every project in here can kill you if you're not careful."**

"Wow that's reassuring." Travis and Connor said sarcastically.

**"No touching," Leo promised.**

**His cabinmates filed out of the forge. Soon Leo was alone with the sounds of the bellows, the waterwheels, and small machines clicking and whirring.**

"Peaceful." Dionysus said flipping the page of his NEW wine magazine.

**He stared at the map of camp—the locations where his newfound siblings were going to put traps to catch a dragon. It was wrong. Plain wrong.**

Hephaestus stared at his son.

**Very rare, he thought. And always dangerous.**

Some were thinking, _What?_

Athena was thinking._ . . can it be?_

**He held out his hand and studied his fingers. They were long and thin, not callused like the other Hephaestus campers'. **

Everyone looked at Leo's hands.

It was true.

**Leo had never been the biggest or the strongest kid.**

That was also true.

** He'd survived in tough neighborhoods, tough schools, tough foster homes by using his wits. **

Athena and Annabeth gave Leo approving looks.

**He was the class clown, the court jester, because he'd learned early that if you cracked jokes and pretended you weren't scared, you usually didn't get beat up. **

"That's kinda. . . " Jason trailed off at a loss for words.

"Leo." Piper said.

Leo shrugged them off.

**Even the baddest gangster kids would tolerate you, keep you around for laughs. Plus, humor was a good way to hide the pain. And if that didn't work, there was always Plan B. Run away. Over and over.**

Everyone was looking at Leo.

Was that how he really felt?

**There ****_was _****a Plan C, but he'd promised himself never to use it again.**

**He felt an urge to try it now—something he hadn't done since the accident, since his mom's death.**

Athena's eyes widened.

_He is. . ._

**He extended his fingers and felt them tingle, like they were waking up—pins and needles. Then flames flickered to life, curls of red-hot fire dancing across his palm.**

Everyone gasped.

Frank quickly backed away from Leo.

Leo put his hand out and did it in front of the group.

They couldn't help but gasp again.

Hazel's hand hovered over her pockets looking scared.

"That's . . ." Percy said.

"Yeah." Apollo finished gulping.

"I'll read." Leo yelled to get away from the silence.

He grabbed the book from Clarisse and quickly began reading.

* * *

**I hope it was okay for you guys.**

**Tell me what you think.**

**See you guys next update.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hope you like the chapter**

**It's a little short like Leo's but I hope you like it.**

**And sorry it took so long but I had a really. . . messed up week to say the least.**

**You don't even want to know and I had a little bit of writers block to add to it all.**

**PlEASE READ**

**I also put up a new one-shot that might become a multi chapter story and I want to know what you guys think. Please read and review the story!**

**308 reviews! Woop!**

**Guys I was thinking about the titans curse and how many god did help in the quest or showed up like. . . eight? Wow talk about not interfering in quests *snort***

**Also I just realized that if Hermes when up to his son luke and said "Luke I'm your father." is that a star wars pun?**

**Enjoy the chapter you guys.**

**poll results**

Witch god out of the two would you want to be your parent?(different poll)

Zeus 18 votes

Hades 77 votes

I think Hades won that poll

*thunder*

I put up a new poll so please vote.

* * *

**"Jason VII"** Leo read quickly.

Frank still stared at Leo like he was his altiment fear.

( Well. . . ;) )

**As soon as Jason saw the house, he knew he was a dead man.**

Zeus shook himself from the shock of Leo's. . . unusual gift and looked at his with worry.

Some of the gods blinked.

"Well that doesn't sound good." Hermes said shaking himself just like Zeus did.

**"Here we are!" Drew said cheerfully.**

Piper's face took on a disgusted look.

( Drew really does drive me nuts.)

** "The Big House, camp headquarters."**

Dionysus angrily flipped his page of his magazine roughly.

"Dionysus." Zeus warned.

Dionysus scowled at the poor innocent wine picture.

**It didn't look threatening, just a four-story manor painted baby blue with white trim. ****The wraparound porch had lounge chairs, a card table, and an empty wheelchair. **

"Chiron's." Annabeth said.

"Yep and that card table in were Mr. D losses to Chiron." Travis said grinning.

"Beware Timmy. I'm watching you." Dionysus said behind his magazine.

Travis mouthed ' Timmy?'

Katie was trying not to laugh at her boyfriend's expression.

**Wind chimes shaped like nymphs turned into trees as they spun. **

"Huh, never noticed them before." Connor said thinking.

**Jason could imagine old people coming here for summer vacation, sitting on the porch and sipping prune juice while they watched the sunset. **

Apollo snickered at the image of Dionysus drinking prune juice.

Dionysus scowled at him then smirked as he snapped his fingers.

Everyone looked in confusion as Apollo was hanging upside down from the ceiling.

Binding him were grapevines.

Hermes was the first to do something.

He laughed so loud that it echoed off the entire city of New York.

The Janitor of Olympus scowled suspiciously when the windows shook.

If they break _one more time. . . _his eye twitched in a unhealthy way.

( I feel bad for the guy.)

**Still, the windows**

( huh speaking of windows. . . *trying not to laugh* )

** seemed to glare down at him like angry eyes. **

"That's a creepy description." Chris said looking at Jason.

**The wide-open doorway looked ready to swallow him. **

Travis looked like he was thinking something.

That didn't look good. . .

**On the highest gable, a bronze eagle weathervane spun in the wind and pointed straight in his direction, as if telling him to turn around.**

"Maybe it was. . . " Connor said in the creepest voice he could muster.

**Every molecule in Jason's body told him he was on enemy ground.**

"Maybe because you are?" Hermes said still not able to look at Apollo without laughing.

Jason nodded.

**"I am ****_not _****supposed to be here," he said.**

"Way to say the obvious little brother." Thalia said rolling her eyes.

Jason blushed.

**Drew circled her arm through his.**

Piper made a face of disgust.

Jason saw a grabbed her hand in his.

Piper looked up at him for a few long seconds then smiled.

** "Oh, please. You're ****_perfect _****here, sweetie. Believe me, I've seen a lot of heroes."**

Aphrodite bit her perfect lip.

She was trying a _little_ too hard.

**Drew smelled like Christmas—a strange combination of pine and nutmeg.**

"Why would she smell like that?" Chris asked as Clarisse snorted beside him.

Jason shrugged," I have no idea."

** Jason wondered if she always smelled like that, or if it was some kind of special perfume for the holidays. **

Aphrodite nodded," It's most likely."

**Her pink eyeliner was really distracting. **

Some raised some eyebrows.

**Every time she blinked, he felt compelled to look at her.**

Piper took a breath.

** Maybe that was the point, to show off her warm brown eyes. She was pretty.**

Piper scowled at that. . .

** No doubt about that. But she made Jason feel uncomfortable.**

. . . then smirked.

**He slipped his arm away as gently as he could. "Look, I appreciate—"**

**"Is it that girl?" Drew pouted. "Oh, please, tell me you are ****_not _****dating the Dumpster Queen."**

"Dumpster queen?" Piper said baling her fist.

She was going to hit her some day.

Or the near future.

( to get this straight Drew IS NOT COMING in. She drives me nuts.)

**"You mean Piper? Um …"**

Thalia raised an eyebrow.

**Jason wasn't sure how to answer. He didn't think he'd ever seen Piper before today,**

"Because you didn't." Leo said helpfully.

Jason looked at him," Thanks Leo, very helpful."

"Anytime." Leo said patting Jason on the shoulder.

** but he felt strangely guilty about it.**

Piper smiled but nobody saw it.

** He knew he shouldn't be in this place. He shouldn't befriend these people, and certainly he shouldn't date one of them. **

"And you did anyway." Leo sing-songed.

Jason blushed.

**Still … Piper had been holding his hand when he woke up on that bus. **

Piper blushed slightly.

**She believed she was his girlfriend. She'd been brave on the skywalk, fighting those ****_venti_****,**

"It was brave when you had no idea of our world." Athena complimented.

Piper blushed a little more," Thanks."

** and when Jason had caught her in midair and they'd held each other face-to-face, he couldn't pretend he wasn't a little tempted to kiss her.**

Aphrodite squealed.

Jason blushed.

Percy grinned at him," Not fu for people to hear your thought huh?"

Jason made a face at him.

Percy just laughed.

** But that wasn't right. He didn't even know his own story. He couldn't play with her emotions like that.**

"Aww, he doesn't want to hurt you." Aphrodite cooed.

**Drew rolled her eyes. "Let me help you decide, sweetie.**

Piper snorted.

** You can do better. A guy with your looks and obvious talent?"**

"Flattery will get you know where." Apollo quoted.

He blinked.

He just_ quoted._

**She wasn't looking at him, though. She was staring at a spot right above his head.**

"She waiting for you to be claimed." Athena informed.

"Thanks for that Owl head." Poseidon rolled his eyes.

Athena took a deep breath.

_Don't kill him. . ._

**"You're waiting for a sign," he guessed. "Like what popped over Leo's head."**

"Yep." Leo said popping the 'p'.

**"What? No! Well … yes. I mean, from what I heard, you're pretty powerful, right? **

"Yes."

**You're going to be important at camp, **

"Maybe. . . "

**so I figure your parent will claim you right away. ****And I'd love to see that. **

Travis snickered.

Katie looked at him suspiciously.

He could be thinking _anything._

**I wanna be with you every step of the way! **

Piper scowled.

**So is your dad or mom the god? Please tell me it's not your mom. I would hate it if you were an ****_Aphrodite _****kid."**

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**"Why?"**

**"Then you'd be my half brother, silly. You can't date somebody from your own cabin. Yuck!"**

"I'm glad were not brother and sister." Percy whispered into Annabeth's ear.

Annabeth kissed him on the cheek.

Percy smiled stupidly.

**"But aren't all the gods related?" Jason asked. "So isn't everyone here your cousin or something?"**

"Well Zeus married his sister so it doesn't really matter." Poseidon said shrugging.

Everyone glanced at Hera who was scowling at everyone.

Everyone was thinking the same thing except Zeus.

_I'm glad she's not my wife._

**"Aren't you cute! Sweetie, the godly side of your family doesn't count except for your parent. So anybody from another cabin—they're fair game. So who's your godly parent—mom or dad?"**

"How would he know if he lost his memory?" Nico asked everyone.

"That's a good point." Annabeth said from Percy's side.

Percy was playing with her curls.

**As usual, Jason didn't have an answer. He looked up, but no glowing sign popped above his head. At the top of the Big House, the weathervane was still pointing his direction, that bronze eagle glaring as if to say, ****_Turn around, kid, while you still can._**

"That weathervane warning you to get away from Drew." Leo joked to Jason.

Jason snorted a laugh.

**Then he heard footsteps on the front porch. No—not footsteps— ****_hooves_****.**

"And here comes are favorite horse that. . . " Travis trailed off.

" . . . needs social lessons." Connor continued his brothers sentence.

**"Chiron!" Drew called. "This is Jason. He's totally awesome!"**

Piper rolled her eyes.

**Jason backed up so fast he almost tripped. Rounding the corner of the porch was a man on horseback. **

"Not exactly." Hermes said not looking up from his phone.

He just got a message.

Hermes sighed and disappeared.

**Except he wasn't on horseback—he was part of the horse. From the waist up he was human, with curly brown hair and a well-trimmed beard.**

"When isn't his bread trimmed?" Apollo said.

**He wore a T-shirt that said ****_World's Best Centaur_****, and had a quiver and bow strapped to his back. His head was so high up he had to duck to avoid the porch lights, because from the waist down, he was a white stallion.**

Everyone nodded like this was obvious.

**Chiron started to smile at Jason. Then the color drained from his face.**

Some raised their eyebrows.

**"You …" The centaur's eyes flared like a cornered animal's. "You should be dead."**

Everyone was silent for a long moment.

"Well, anyway, that was a good welcome." Leo said who continued reading.

**Chiron ordered Jason—well, ****_invited_****, but it sounded like an order—to come inside the house. He told Drew to go back to her cabin, which Drew didn't look happy about.**

"Of course we wouldn't be happy." Hermes said popping back into his throne.

His phone beeped.

Hermes decided to ignore it just this once.

**The centaur trotted over to the empty wheelchair on the porch. He slipped off his quiver and bow and backed up to the chair, which opened like a magician's box. **

"Well it is magical." Percy said.

"Way to state the obvious kelp head." Thalia said.

Percy stuck his tounge out at her.

**Chiron gingerly stepped into it with his back legs and began scrunching himself into a space that should've been much too small. **

Apollo smiled.

Wonder why. . .

**Jason imagined a truck's reversing noises— ****_beep, beep, beep—_****as the centaur's lower half disappeared **

Everyone snickered at that sentence.

**and the chair folded up, popping out a set of fake human legs covered in a blanket, so Chiron appeared to be a regular mortal guy in a wheelchair.**

"Looks can be diseeving." Percy said.

"You would know perce." Nico said.

Percy grinned mischievously and quickly ruffled Nico's hair.

"Hey!" Nico yelped straining his hair.

Percy laughed.

**"Follow me," he ordered. "We have lemonade."**

"Come we have candy." Hermes whispered creepily making everyone jump.

He appeared out of nowhere.

Hermes cracked up.

**The living room looked like it had been swallowed by a rain forest.**

"Don't worry you won't get attacked by monkeys." Connor reassured.

Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

Connor just grinned.

Chris smacked his forehead.

**Grapevines curved up the walls and across the ceiling, which Jason found a little strange. **

Dionysus raised an eyebrow.

**He didn't think plants grew like that inside, especially in the winter, but these were leafy green and bursting with bunches of red grapes.**

Zeus looked at his son whose face was hidden behind a magazine.

_I'll let this slide. . . for now._

**Leather couches faced a stone fireplace with a crackling fire. Wedged in one corner, an old-style Pac-Man arcade game beeped and blinked.**

( I got to admit I wish I had a Pac-man machine. I like Pac-Man.)

**Mounted on the walls was an assortment of masks—smiley/frowny Greek theater types, feathered Mardi Gras masks, Venetian _Carnevale _masks with big beaklike noses, carved wooden masks from Africa. **

"Wow. That's a lot of masks." Hazel said eyes wide.

"Yep." Travis said smiling at Hazel.

Hazel blushed.

Frank frowned slightly.

**Grapevines grew through their mouths so they seemed to have leafy tongues.**

Dionysus smiled. . .

. . _.a little._

** Some had red grapes bulging through their eyeholes.**

"Like eyes." Nico said.

"Really? I didn't know that." Thalia said sarcastically.

"Pinecone face." Nico muttered.

**But the weirdest thing was the stuffed leopard's head above the fireplace. It looked so real, its eyes seemed to follow Jason. **

"Wait for it." Travis whispered to his brother.

Connor grinned.

**Then it snarled, and Jason nearly leaped out of his skin.**

Everyone either snickered,looked shocked or cracked up laughing.

Travis grinned at his brother.

He turned to Chris and did the same.

Chris sighed but smiled all the same.

**"Now, Seymour," Chiron chided. "Jason is a friend. Behave yourself."**

"Behave yourself means 'Don't eat him!'" Connor yelled the last part.

Some jumped.

Some glared.

And some laughed.

Take your pick.

**"That thing is alive!" Jason said.**

"Well duh." Clarisse said looking at Jason like he was stupid.

**Chiron rummaged through the side pocket of his wheelchair and brought out a package of Snausages.**

Apollo stared drulling. . .

It was kinda gross.

** He threw one to the leopard, who snapped it up and licked his lips.**

**"You must excuse the décor," Chiron said. "All this**** was a parting gift from our old director before he was recalled to Mount Olympus. **

"Why _was_ he recalled to Olympus?" Athena asked.

It didn't make sence.

**He thought it would help us to remember him. Mr. D has a strange sense of humor."**

Dionysus snorted at that.

**"Mr. D," Jason said. "Dionysus?"**

"Okay it takes Percy like twenty minutes to figure it out and it took Jason what? A second to figure it out?" Thalia smirked.

Percy glared at her.

She just smiled innocently.

**"Mmm hmm." Chiron poured lemonade, though his hands were trembling a little.**

"I haven't seen that before." Katie said.

The demigods nodded.

Well except for the ones that never met Chiron.

** "As for Seymour, well, Mr. D liberated him from a Long Island garage sale. **

"Garage sale?" came from someone in the room behind a magazine.

Nobody answered the question.

**The leopard is Mr. D's sacred animal, you see, and Mr. D was appalled that someone would stuff such a noble creature. **

Dionysus nodded in agreement.

**He decided to grant it life, on the assumption that life as a mounted head was better than no life at all.**

"I don't know about that. Can't prank anyone." Connor said.

Everyone rolled her eyes.

**I must say it's a kinder fate than Seymour's previous owner got."**

"Um. . . what happened?" Frank asked hesitantly.

**Seymour bared his fangs and sniffed the air, as if hunting for more Snausages.**

Some eyes widened at that.

**"If he's only a head," Jason said, "where does the food go when he eats?"**

Some thought that was agood question.

**"Better not to ask," Chiron said. "Please, sit."**

"Aww, Chiron." Apollo complained.

Some did inside but they didn't voice it.

**Jason took some lemonade, though his stomach was fluttering. Chiron sat back in his wheelchair and tried for a smile, but Jason could tell it was forced. The old man's eyes were as deep and dark as wells.**

"He has seen almost everything." Annabeth said.

Everyone nodded.

**"So, Jason," he said, "would you mind telling me—ah—where you're from?"**

"That might be a little hard. . . " Leo trialed off.

**"I wish I knew." Jason told him the whole story, from waking up on the bus to crash-landing at Camp Half-Blood. **

"It wasn't the only thing that crashed into the lake so don't feel bad." Percy said smirking at Thalia.

Thalia glared at him," Shut up."

**He didn't see any point in hiding the details, and Chiron was a good listener. **

"He is." Athena nodded.

Some wondered how she knew that but didn't voice their question.

**He didn't react to the story, other than to nod encouragingly for more.**

"He does that a lot." Percy said thinking.

**When Jason was done, the old man sipped his lemonade.**

"I could use some of that." Hermes said.

Some nodded.

Athena took this into account.

**"I see," Chiron said. "And you must have questions for me."**

" One." Jason said.

**"Only one," Jason admitted. "What did you mean when you said that I should be dead?"**

"That's what most of us want to know." Hermes said.

**Chiron studied him with concern, as if he expected Jason to burst into flames.**

Leo shifted in his seat as everyone turned to him.

This was what he was trying to avoid.

He quickly began to read.

** "My boy, do you know what those marks on your arm mean?**

"Now I do." Jason said.

** The color of your shirt? Do you remember anything?"**

"Not at the time." Someone said.

**Jason looked at the tattoo on his forearm: SPQR, the eagle, twelve straight lines.**

Percy looked around innocently.

He couldn't believe that they didn't notice his yet.

"Eagle?" Athena asked.

Jason nodded showing her his tattoo.

**"No," he said. "Nothing."**

**"Do you know where you are?" Chiron asked. "Do you understand what this place is, and who I am?"**

Jason nodded.

**"You're Chiron the centaur," Jason said. "I'm guessing you're the same one from the old stories, who used to train the Greek heroes like Heracles.**

Percy growled, _the jerk._

Artemis and Thalia looked about the same as Percy.

** This is a camp for demigods, children of the Olympian gods."**

"Got that right!" Ares yelled.

Aphrodite smacked him.

**"So you believe those gods still exist?"**

"Just look around." Apollo said grinning.

The demigods looked around.

Poseidon in a Hawaii shirt with pineapples and Bermuda shorts.

Zeus in his suit.

Hermes looking at his phone.

Apollo grinning like an idea looking like a model.

The gods weren't what you would expect to say the least.

**"Yes," Jason said immediately. "I mean, I don't think we should ****_worship _****them or sacrifice chickens to them or anything, but they're still around because they're a powerful part of civilization. They move from country to country as the center of power shifts—like they moved from Ancient Greece to Rome."**

"Wow remember when he explained it to me? It took forever." Percy said.

Jason said it in like two sentences." Piper said.

**"I couldn't have said it better."**

"We know." A lot of people in the throne room said.

**Something about Chiron's vo****ice had changed. ****_"So you already know the gods are real. You have already been _****claimed, haven't you?"**

"Yes but he doesn't know who his father is." Poseidon said.

Leo looked at the book.

_Why was it in italics?_

**"Maybe," Jason answered. ****_"I'm not really sure."_**

**Seymour the leopard snarled.**

"Uh-oh the killer head of the leopards on the loose." Travis yelled.

Katie smacked him upside the head.

**Chiron waited, and Jason realized what had just happened. **

"What happened?" Hermes asked confused.

**The centaur had switched to another language and Jason had understood, automatically answering in the same tongue.**

"Oh." Leo said nodding.

"Why you say that?" Percy asked.

"There conversation was in italics and I was wondering why."

"Oh." Percy said.

"Perfect Percy answer." Thalia whispered to Nico.

Nico laughed loudly.

Everyone looked at him.

He blushed.

**"Quis erat—" Jason faltered, then made a conscious effort to speak English. "What was that?"**

"Oh you know just an old horse tricking you." Apollo said grinning.

"I'm telling Chiron you said that." Artemis said.

Apollo's eyes widened.

**"You know Latin," Chiron observed. "Most demigods recognize a few phrases, of course.**

"Like the time I yelled 'eat my pants!'" Percy said.

Everyone snickered.

** It's in their blood, but not as much as Ancient Greek. None can speak Latin fluently with out practice."**

"Well . . . " Percy said thinking about his time at the other camp.

**Jason tried to wrap his mind around what that meant, but too many pieces were missing from his memory.**

"It was really annoying not remembering anything." Jason said.

Percy nodded remembering the time in the library on his quest.

He had been really frustrated then too.

** He still had the feeling that he shouldn't be here. It was wrong—and dangerous.**

The gods nodded.

That wasn't very encouraging.

** But at least Chiron wasn't threatening. In fact the centaur seemed concerned for him, afraid for his safety.**

"He is. He has the same feeling for all demigods." Hades said.

**The fire reflected in Chiron's eyes, making them dance fretfully. "I taught your namesake, you know, the original Jason. **

"He must be old." Leo said.

Everyone turned to him.

"Forget I said that."

**He had a hard path. I've seen many heroes come and go. Occasionally, they have happy endings. **

Percy was wondering if he would actually have a happy ending.

He wasn't sure anymore.

**Mostly, they don't. It breaks my heart, like losing a child each time one of my pupils dies.**

Everyone looked at the book in sympathy as if to pass it on to the saddened centaur.

** But you—you are not like any pupil I've ever taught. Your presence here could be a disaster."**

"That is very true." Jason analysed.

**"Thanks," Jason said. "You must be an inspiring teacher."**

**"I am sorry, my boy. But it's true. I had hoped that after Percy's success—"**

Percy looked up at the mention of his name.

**"Percy Jackson, you mean. Annabeth's boyfriend, the one who's missing."**

Poseidon paled at the thought.

Percy smiled and kissed Annabeth's cheek.

Annabeth smiled.

He was here with her.

That was all she wanted.

**Chiron nodded. "I hoped that after he succeeded in the Titan War and saved Mount Olympus, we might have some peace. **

The demigods snorted.

**I might be able to enjoy one final triumph, a happy ending, and perhaps retire quietly.**

"I kinda don't want him to retire." Travis said looking around at everyone.

Everyone nodded.

** I should have known better. The last chapter approaches, just as it did before. The worst is yet to come."**

"That's. . . reassuring." Apollo said for once at a loss of what to say.

**In the corner, the arcade game made a sad ****_pew-pew-pew-pew _****sound, like a Pac-Man had just died.**

"Well that's ironic." Chris said.

**"Ohh-kay," Jason said. "So—last chapter, happened before, worst yet to come. Sounds fun, but can we go back to the part where I'm supposed to be dead? I don't like that part."**

"I don't know if that rude or not." Aphrodite said.

**"I'm afraid I can't explain, my boy. I swore on the River Styx and on all things sacred that I would never …" **

"Those oaths break easily." Hera hissed.

Zeus winced.

Poseidon looked around innocently.

Hades scratched him nose.

**Chiron frowned. "But you're here, in violation of the same oath. That too, should not be possible.**

"But it is!" Travis and Connor said dramatically.

** I don't understand. Who would've done such a thing? Who—"**

"Who!" Hermes shouted.

**Seymour the leopard howled. His mouth froze, half open. **

"What?" Was heard from around the room.

**The arcade game stopped beeping. The fire stopped crackling, its flames hardening like red glass. The masks stared down silently at Jason with their grotesque grape eyes and leafy tongues.**

"What's going on?" Athena asked hating not knowing.

"You'll see in a minute." Jason promised.

**"Chiron?" Jason asked. "What's going—"**

**The old centaur had frozen, too.**

Everyone looked confused by this time.

** Jason jumped off the couch, but Chiron kept staring at the same spot, his mouth open mid-sentence. His eyes didn't blink. His chest didn't move. **

"This is really weird." Apollo said.

Everyone nodded.

**_Jason,_ a voice said.**

"And it just got creepy." Hermes said.

**For a horrible moment, he thought the leopard had spoken. **

"I won't be surprised." Percy said.

**Then dark mist boiled out of Seymour's mouth, and an even worse thought occurred to Jason: ****_storm spirits_****.**

Everyone's eyes widened.

**He grabbed the golden coin from his pocket. With a quick flip, it changed into a sword.**

"I still think mines cooler." Percy said uncaping Riptide.

Annabeth rolled her gray eyes.

**The mist took the form of a woman in black robes.**

Some eyebrows scrunched together in thought.

** Her face was hooded, but her eyes glowed in the darkness. Over her shoulders she wore a goatskin cloak. **

"Wait." Athena said.

She was ignored.

**Jason wasn't sure how he knew it was goatskin, but he recognized it and knew it was important.**

"It is." Jason said.

Athena bit her lip and looked at a certain goddess.

**_Would you attack your patron?_ the woman chided. Her voice echoed in Jason's head. ****_Lower your sword._**

"Patron?" Frank asked suspiciously.

The quest was coming to him mind.

**"Who are you?" he demanded. "How did you—"**

"And he was cut off." Hestia sighed.

Everyone jumped.

She was so quiet. . . .

_**Our time is limited, Jason. My prison grows stronger by the hour. **_

_Prison?_

_**It took me a full month to gather enough energy to work even the smallest magic through its bonds. I've managed to bring you here, but now I have little time left, and even less power. This may be the last time I can speak to you.**_

"Who is it!" Ares yelled irritated.

Everyone 'shhed' him.

His eyes flared behind his sunglasses.

**"You're in prison?" Jason decided maybe he wouldn't lower his sword. "Look, I don't know you, and you're not my patron."**

**Jason sighed.**

Thalia patted her brother on the shoulder.

**You know me , she insisted. ****_I have known you since your birth._**

"That's kinda creepy." Apollo said.

Hera narrowed her eyes.

**"I don't remember. I don't remember anything."**

**No, you don't, she agreed.**

Jason looked at Hera when none was watching.

Jason closed his eyes for the slightest of moments.

**_That also was necessary. Long ago, your father gave me your life as a gift to placate my anger. He named you Jason, _****after my favorite mortal. You belong to me.**

"That's kinda a thing you don't want to know first thing." Jason said.

Some looked at him with sympathy.

Thalia looked angrily at her father.

Zeus flinched.

**"Whoa," Jason said. "I don't belong to anyone."**

"Apparently you do." Hera said.

**Now is the time to pay your debt, she said. ****_Find my prison. Free me_****, ****_or their king will rise from the earth, and I will be destroyed. You will never _****retrieve your memory.**

"Is that a threat?" Thalia yelled.

**"Is that a threat? You ****_took _****my memories?"**

"Brother and sister think alike." Percy said.

_**You have until sunset on the solstice, Jason. Four short days. Do not fail me.**_

**The dark woman dissolved, and the mist curled into the leopard's mouth.**

"I wonder if the women tasted bad." Leo said.

Everyone stared at him.

"What?" Leo said confused.

Hera glared at him but nobody noticed.

**Time unfroze. Seymour's howl turned into a cough like he'd sucked in a hair ball. **

"Or a lady." Apollo shrugged.

**The fire crackled to life, the arcade machine beeped, and Chiron said, "—would dare to bring you here?"**

"What was the word before that again?" Thalia asked.

Leo looked back," Who."

"Okay."

**"Probably the lady in the mist," Jason offered.**

"Jason you know he might have not seen that right? " Thalia asked.

Jason nodded.

**Chiron looked up in surprise. "Weren't you just sitting … why do you have a sword drawn?"**

"That must have been weird for him." Poseidon said.

Everyone agreed.

**"I hate to tell you this," Jason said, "but I think your leopard just ate a goddess."**

"Way to break it to him." Thalia snorted.

Jason blushed.

**He told Chiron about the frozen-in-time visit, the dark misty figure that disappeared into Seymour's mouth.**

"Still she might have tasted bad." Leo muttered.

**"Oh, dear," Chiron murmured. "That does explain a lot."**

"I doesn't for us." Demeter said," He needs -"

"If you say cereal . . . " Hades left the threat hanging.

Demeter huffed.

**"Then why don't you explain a lot to me?" Jason said. "Please."**

"That would be helpful." Many said at the same time.

To tell you the true it was a little weird.

**Before Chiron could say anything, footsteps reverberated on the porch outside.**

"And we aren't going to find out anything until later aren't we." Percy sighed.

Jason nodded.

** The front door blew open, and Annabeth and another girl, a redhead, **

"Rachel." Everyone said.

**burst in, dragging Piper between them. Piper's head lolled like she was unconscious.**

Aphrodite looked at her daughter, worried.

**"What happened?" Jason rushed over. "What's wrong with her?"**

Everyone leaned forward.

**"Hera's cabin," Annabeth gasped, like they'd run all the way. "Vision. Bad."**

"I did run all the way there." Annabeth said.

**The redheaded girl looked up, and Jason saw that she'd been crying.**

"Rachel crying?" Percy asked," I only saw that once."

"She was crying." Jason said.

**"I think …" The redheaded girl gulped. "I think I may have killed her."**

Aphrodite gasped.

"I'm okay mom." Piper reassured.

Aphrodite took a deep breath.

"Done." Leo said.

"I think we should have dinner." Athena said.

Apollo's mouth watered.

Everyone took a breath and left the throne room.

* * *

**I hope you liked it**

**I worked on this all day for you guys.**

**Please review and check out the story I mentioned above.**

**See you guys soon**


	9. Chapter 9

**PLEASE READ ALL OF THIS THANKS!**

**Hope you like it**

**Also check out my new one-shot that might turn into a multi-chapter story if you guys like it.**

**It's called 'waves'. Even if you don't like it please tell me in a review. **

**Hope you like the chapter you guys.**

* * *

Everyone quickly ate dinner but many conversations were witnessed.

**Apollo and Artemis**

Artemis quietly ate her dinner when her twin showed up by her side.

Apollo stared at her until she looked up with a sigh.

"Hows it going sis?" Apollo asked smiling," Check out my humming skills."

Apollo started humming,_' If you like pina coladas. . . . and getting caught in the rain'._

**Chris, Travis and Connor**

Chris blushed as he heard Apollo hum the song.

"Why are you blushing?" Travis grinned mischievously.

"It's nothing." Chris said a little too quickly.

Travis raised an eyebrow.

Chris sighed," You know how Percy and Annabeth were on the princess Andromeda?"

"Yeah." Connor said.

"Well remember the guys who was in full armor and slipped on pina colada. . . " Chris trailed off.

"That was you!" Travis cracked up.

Chris blushed harder.

**Leo, Jason and Piper**

The trio was silent until Piper broke it with a question.

"Do you really feel that way Leo?" Piper asked looking concerned for her friend.

Leo laughed nervously," Nope."

Jason and Piper shared a look.

**Poseidon, Frank and Percy**

"Hey dad meet Frank. He's a legacy of Poseidon." Percy said.

Poseidon extended his hand out to Frank," Well it's nice to meet you Frank."

Frank blinked then shook the god's hand.

**Hazel and Nico**

Once they got to the throne room Hazel hugged her brother.

"I'm glad your okay." Hazel said pulling back.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Nico asked confused.

"You were captured by Gaea!" Hazel exclaimed.

Nico paled," No I didn't. I was on my way to the doors of death."

Hazel bit her lip.

**. . . Hades**

"Hello Hazel." Hades said walking up to the group.

"Hello Plu- Hades." Hazel corrected.

Hades smiled at her gently.

What she was going to say before he came was forgotten.

**Ares and Clarisse**

Thy ate rather awkwardly not saying a word.

**Athena and Hera**

Athena marched up to the queen of the gods," I know it was you."

"What Athena dear?" Hera said avoiding what was said.

"I know what you did. You took Percy and Jason from both camps, whipped their memory, and sent them to enemy traitory!" Athena exclaimed.

Hera nodded," Seem likely."

"Why are you doing it though?" Athena asked.

"All in due time. I don't know what I'm doing. It's in the future."

**Zeus and Thalia**

"So. . . " Zeus stared awkwardly.

"Yeah." Thalia said.

"How do you like being a hunter?" Zeus asked.

Thalia took a breath," It's great."

Zeus raised his eyebrow.

**Hephaestus and Aphrodite**

"Dear?" Hephaestus said trying to get his wife's atention.

"Yes?" Aphrodite said turning to him.

"I made something for you." Hephaestus said pulling out a box.

Aphrodite gently took it from him and opened the box to find. . .

. . . the most beautiful necklace she ever seen.

"Oh wow. Thank you Hephy!" Aphrodite squealed and hugged him.

Hephaestus smiled.

**Demeter and Katie. . . **

"Katie?" Demeter asked.

"Yes mother?" Katie said looking up from her food.

"Would you like to plant a garden with me?" Demeter asked smiling.

Katie's face lit up," Of course!"

"I'll get Hermes to send us flowers." Demeter snapped her fingers.

**. . . . and Hermes**

Hermes heard his phone beep.

Hermes sighed and disappeared.

**Grover and Hestia**

Grover and Hestia were having a good conversation about saving nature.

**Dionysus**

Dionysus looked around and popped up a diet coke.

Only the contents wasn't coke. . . .

**Annabeth**

Annabeth watched with a smile at Percy and his father interacting with the new boy Frank.

**Nobody. . .**

Everyone quickly finished and made their way back to the throne room to read what happened to Piper.

* * *

**I don't know if this was good or not but I tried.**

**And please check out the story mentioned above.**

**See you guys later.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hope you like it**

** Thanks for all the reviews so far and I hope it was good for you guys.**

**I'm sorry that I haven't updated for so long. A lot of things happened and it was crazy. First I celebrated my birthday( July 7th), then ****I got the computer taken away from me for a week, then I get writers block after, then after I got a muse to finish this chapter my family went on vacation( with no Wi-Fi or internet at all) And came back about a week later. Then I lost my muse and had writers block again AND finally I have a summer reading assignment I have to finish before school starts back up in about three weeks. So as you can see a lot of things happened. Sorry for everything and the delay. I've been working on this chapter all day to get to you guys. Hope it's okay.**

**Enjoy the chapter though.**

**Poll results**

Witch one out of the three?

Hephaestus 83 votes

Ares 15 votes

Dionysus 12 votes

Put up new poll so please vote on that, thanks.

* * *

Everyone arrived in the throne room anxious to read what happened to Piper.

"I'll read next." Percy volunteered shrugging.

Leo handed him the book with a grin.

Percy opened to the next chapter.

**"Jason VIII" **Percy read.

**Jason and the redhead,**

"Her name is Rachel." Percy said.

** who introduced herself as Rachel, **

Everyone looked at Percy.

He just smiled sheepishly.

**put Piper on the couch while Annabeth rushed down the hall to get a med kit. Piper was still breathing,**

Aphrodite let out a breath.

If you looked to her neck she was wearing a certain necklace . . .

Hephaestus smiled at the sight.

** but she wouldn't wake up. She seemed to be in some kind of coma.**

Aphrodite looked worried again.

Piper felt a little bad for her mother.

**"We've got to heal her," Jason insisted. "There's a way, right?"**

"Yes." Apollo said off handily.

**Seeing her so pale, barely breathing, Jason felt a surge of protectiveness. **

Aphrodite cooed at the couple.

Jason and Piper blushed a bright red.

**Maybe he didn't really know her. Maybe she wasn't his girlfriend. **

Aphrodite made a face at the very idea.

**But they'd survived the Grand Canyon together. They'd come all this way. He'd left her side for a little while, and ****_this _****had happened.**

"I can take care of myself." Piper whispered.

Jason leaned closer to her," I know."

Piper shivered.

**Chiron put his hand on her forehead and grimaced. "Her mind is in a fragile state. Rachel, what happened?"**

"Yeah, _Rachel_, what happened?" Apollo said leaning closer to the book and raising his eyebrow farther up his four head.

Artemis sighed.

_Just don't think about it. . . ._

**"I wish I knew," she said. "As soon as I got to camp, I had a premonition about Hera's cabin. I went inside. **

"Witch nobody has done since it was built." Hermes pointed out.

"It was pretty foolish." Athena said shaking her head.

**Annabeth and Piper came in while I was there. We talked, and then—****I just blanked out. Annabeth said I spoke in a different voice."**

Athena cautiously glanced at Hera.

What was her plan?

**"A prophecy?" Chiron asked.**

"Doesn't seem like it." Apollo said nonchalantly lounging on his throne.

**"No. The spirit of Delphi comes from within. I know how that feels. This was like long distance, a power trying to speak through me."**

"That's really creepy." Leo said.

Everyone nodded.

It creeped out everyone.

Apollo just shrugged.

**Annabeth ran in with a leather pouch. She knelt next to Piper. "Chiron, what happened back there—I've never seen anything like it. I've heard Rachel's prophecy voice. This was different. She sounded like an older woman. **

"So it wasn't my oracle." Apollo summed up.

Athena looked at Hera and so did the people who knew who it was that said that to Piper.

**She grabbed Piper's shoulders and told her—"**

**"To free her from a prison?" Jason guessed.**

"I bet that surprised her." Nico snickered.

Annabeth frowned and smacked him.

**Annabeth stared at him. "How did you know that?"**

"Well a person came out of a tigers head and told me the same thing." Jason said.

Some rolled their eyes.

**Chiron made a three-fingered gesture over his heart, like a ward against evil.**

" Well I learned that the fun way. . ." Percy said thinking about how his first step dad flew.

It was serious then but now he could laugh about it.

**"Jason, tell them. Annabeth, the medicine bag, please."**

**Chiron trickled drops from a medicine vial into Piper's mouth while Jason explained what had happened when the room froze—the dark misty woman who had claimed to be Jason's patron.**

Jason glanced at Hera.

Most in the throne didn't know and he wondered how long it would take for them to find out.

** When he was done, no one spoke, which made him more anxious.**

"Now that's what you call an awkward silence." Leo said.

Apollo nodded in agreement.

Artemis rolled her eyes.

Brothers.

**"So does this happen often?" he asked. "Supernatural phone calls from convicts demanding you bust them out of jail?"**

Hermes and Apollo looked at each other.

They turned quickly away and started whistling obviously.

**"Your patron," Annabeth said. "Not your godly parent?"**

"Nope not my parent." Jason confirmed.

**"No, she said ****_patron_****. She also said my dad had given her my life."**

Everyone turned to Zeus.

For one of the first time in the king of the god's life he didn't know what to say.

"Sorry?" He tried.

**Annabeth frowned. "I've never of heard anything like that before. **

Annabeth nodded.

**You said the storm spirit on the skywalk—he claimed to be working for some mistress who was giving him orders, right?**

The seven shared a look.

When the gods found out. . .

** Could it be this woman you saw, messing with your mind?"**

Hera snorted at the suggestion.

Everyone except who knew why she did it stared at her weirdly.

It seemed like a good guess on what the heck was happening.

**"I don't think so," Jason said. "If she were my enemy, why would she be asking for my help? She's imprisoned. **

Hera scowled at the thought.

**She's worried about some enemy getting more powerful. Something about a king rising from the earth on the solstice—"**

The gods looked at each other.

They weren't sure et what the enemy was but it didn't sound good.

**Annabeth turned to Chiron. "Not Kronos. Please tell me it's not that."**

"He was defeated. I doubt it's him daughter." Athena said as a cold chill filled the room at the titans name.

They are in the past after all.

Annabeth whispered to Percy," This enemy might be worse from the look of things."

Percy nodded and pulled her into his chest," Whatever happens I'll be there for you."

Annabeth smiled at him.

**The centaur looked miserable. He held Piper's wrist, checking her pulse.**

Jason bit his lip.

That was a close call.

**At last he said, "It is not Kronos. That threat is ended. But …"**

**"But what?" Annabeth asked.**

The gods looked around.

The demigods didn't say anything to give them a hint.

**Chiron closed the medicine bag. "Piper needs rest. We should discuss this later."**

"Chiron!" Hermes yelled," We want to know what's going on!"

A lot of the gods agreed.

**"Or now," Jason said.**

"See Jason gets me." Hermes said holding out his hand for a high five.

Jason blushed but gave the high five all the same.

Travis and Connor snickered.

** "Sir, Mr. Chiron, you told me the greatest threat was coming. The last chapter. **

(If you think about it it's kind of sad that this might be the end of the Percy Jackson books/ series/ world.)

**You can't possibly mean something worse than an army of Titans, right?"**

The Demigods looked at each other with a look that said, 'It's worse'.

Most of the gods saw the look and it made them nervous.

**"Oh," Rachel said in a small voice. "Oh, dear. The woman was Hera. **

"What?!" Zeus sputtered looking at his wife, the queen of the gods.

Hera ignored him.

All the other gods stared at Hera in disbelief.

Athena knew of course but she didn't, couldn't picture the whole picture.

And that made her frustrated beyond belief.

**Of course. Her cabin, her voice. She showed herself to Jason at the same moment."**

Annabeth scowled.

Percy took her hand gently and looked into her eyes.

Annabeth looked back mesmerized by the intense sea green( my favorite color since I was about four years old.) eyes.

Aphrodite cooed at the sight.

**"Hera?" Annabeth's snarl was even fiercer than Seymour's. **

Dionysus looked up from his magazine at that, raising an eyebrow at the daughter of Athena.

**_"She _****took you over? She did this to Piper?"**

Aphrodite glared at Hera.

Who knew she could be so scary?

**"I think Rachel's right," Jason said. "The woman did seem like a goddess. And she wore this—this goatskin cloak. That's a symbol of Juno, isn't it?"**

Athena nodded," But not Hera, It's Juno's symbol."

Everyone nodded.

**"It is?" Annabeth scowled. "I've never heard that."**

Travis and Connor's eyes widened dramatically.

"You don't know something. . . " Travis started.

"The world must be ending!" Connor finished.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**Chiron nodded reluctantly. "Of Juno, Hera's Roman aspect, in her most warlike state. T****he goatskin cloak was a symbol of the Roman soldier."**

Everyone looked at the queen of the gods.

Some couldn't picture it.

**"So Hera is imprisoned?" Rachel asked. "Who could do that to the queen of the gods?"**

The Demigods exchanged looks yet again.

The gods did the same thinking,_ could it be?_

**Annabeth crossed her arms. "Well, whoever they are, maybe we should thank them. If they can shut up Hera—"**

"You shouldn't thank them!" Zeus yelled.

Hera blinked for the smallest of seconds at her husband's reaction. Then she glared at the daughter of Athena with hate.

**"Annabeth," Chiron warned, "she is still one of the Olympians. **

"Barely," Annabeth muttered under her breath.

Percy put a hand on her shoulder.

Annabeth took a breath then smiled at her seaweed brain.

**In many ways, she is the glue that holds the gods' family together. **

Percy remembered what Juno had said about him being glue for the seven.

**If she truly has been imprisoned and is in danger of destruction, this could shake the foundations of the world.**

"And that would be bad." Apollo said not so helpfully.

** It could unravel the stability of Olympus, which is never great even in the best of times. **

The gods started to protest then stopped.

. . . it was true in a way.

Hestia looked up at the gods looking for hope that they would realize that they were family and fighting wasn't the answer to everything.

With the first series the gods have been getting better even if the couldn't change the future then . . . but they can now.

Hestia smiled.

**And if Hera has asked Jason for help—"**

Thalia looked at Jason, her little brother, remembering how Hera took him. . .

. . .Thalia became angry at Jason helping that _thing._

**"Fine," Annabeth grumbled. "Well, we know Titans can capture a god, right? Atlas captured Artemis **

**a few years ago.**

Apollo growled.

Thalia's anger faded as she turned sad remembering Zoe's death.

Percy gave her a weak smile to try to reassure her that everything was alright.

Thalia looked at him and smiled.

Percy was so loyal.

** And in the old stories, the gods captured each other in traps all the time. **

Ares made a face at the memory of being caught by Hephaestus' traps.

Zeus remembered when Poseidon trapped him in a golden net.

He glared at the god of the sea half heartily.

**But something worse than a Titan … ?"**

Annabeth looked at Percy.

Worse, far worse.

Couldn't they ever get a break?

**Jason looked at the leopard's head. **

Some raised their eyebrows.

**Seymour was smacking his lips like the goddess had tasted much better than a Sausage. **

Hera made a face.

**"Hera said she'd been trying to break through her prison bonds for a month."**

"Far to long." Hera said scowling.

Everyone glared at her.

That wasn't helping.

**"Which is how long Olympus has been closed," Annabeth said.**

"Why _is_ it closed?" Hermes asked raising his hands in the air.

** "So the gods must know something bad is going on."**

It's ironic that they didn't know what the heck was going on isn't it?

**"But why use her energy to send me here?" Jason asked.**

"Good question." Athena said glaring at the Hera.

** "She wiped my memory, **

Jason gripped Pipers hand.

**plopped me into the Wilderness School field trip,**

Leo looked at Jason.

** and sent you a dream vision to come pick me up.**

Annabeth scowled.

That was misleading.

Percy grabbed her hand and lased their fingers.

Annabeth looked at their intertwined hand and smiled.

She had him now.

** Why am I so important? Why not just send up an emergency flare to the other gods—let them know where she is so they bust her out?"**

"It's doesn't work that way punk." Clarisse growled at Jason.

Some people jumped, as they forgot she was their.

Chris sat beside her silently, and secretly holding her hand the whole time.

Katie saw but decided not to say anything. . .

. . . especially to Aphrodite.

**"The gods need heroes to do their will down here on earth," Rachel said. **

The gods looked at the demigods in the room( and a satyr) and thought about how hard it must be for them.

**"That's right, isn't it? Their fates are always intertwined with demigods."**

Yes, yes they were.

**"That's true," Annabeth said, "but Jason's got a point. Why him? Why take his memory?"**

"I know now. . . " Jason trailed off.

**"And Piper's involved somehow," Rachel said. **

"Got that right." Leo said grinning at everyone in the room.

**"Hera sent her the same message—****_Free me_****. And, Annabeth, this must have something to do with Percy's disappearing."**

Annabeth took a breath.

Percy gave her a hug and whispered in her ear, "I will never leave you again."

Annabeth closed her eyes smiling, giving him a hug back.

**Annabeth fixed her eyes on Chiron. "Why are you so quiet, Chiron? What is it we're facing?"**

"Yeah why so quiet Chiron?" Apollo said pointing at the book accusingly.

Artemis rolled her eyes.

**The old centaur's face looked like it had aged ten years in a matter of minutes. **

"He's like a bajillion years old so would it really make a difference?" Percy said.

He sat by Annabeth holding her hand.

Annabeth gave Percy a look," First bajillion isn't a word. Second it did."

"Okay." Percy said.

**The lines around his eyes were deeply etched. "My dear, in this, I cannot help you. I am so sorry."**

The gods all groaned at that.

_How hard was it to find stuff out around here? Seriously!_

**Annabeth blinked. "You've never … you've ****_never _****kept information from me.**

"Is someone filling rejected?" Leo asked innocently.

Annabeth glared at him.

** Even the last great prophecy—"**

"Witch nobody would tell me about." Percy put in.

"Seaweed brain." Annabeth said rolling her eyes.

**"I will be in my office." His voice was heavy. "I need some time to think before dinner.**

"Doesn't everyone?" Travis said seriously.

Connor nodded," To know exactly what you want to eat."

** Rachel, will you watch the girl?**

"Her names Piper." Jason said looking at the book with a scowled.

Piper looked at him and smiled.

** Call Argus to bring her to the infirmary, if you'd like.**

"That would be a good thing to do." Apollo said.

** And Annabeth, you should speak with Jason. Tell him about—about the Greek and Roman gods."**

"Funny I knew all about them . . ." Jason said.

"Well you didn't at the time." Annabeth pointed out.

"Good point." Jason acknowledged her.

**"But …"**

**The centaur turned his wheelchair and rolled off down the hallway. **

"The silent treatment. Nasty." Connor said.

**Annabeth's eyes turned stormy.**

Some glanced at Annabeth.

** She muttered something in Greek, and Jason got the feeling it wasn't complimentary toward centaurs.**

Annabeth blushed.

It wasn't complimentary to centaurs . . .

**"I'm sorry," Jason said. "I think my being here—I don't know. I've messed things up coming to the camp, somehow. **

"Because your not suppose to be their or even know about the camp in general." Athena said.

**Chiron said he'd sworn an oath and couldn't talk about it."**

The gods thought about the war that brought on that certain oath.

It wasn't good to picture it.

**"What oath?" Annabeth demanded. "I've never seen him act this way. **

It was different.

**And why would he tell me to talk to you about the gods..."**

"Well he did lose his memory. . . "

**Her voice trailed off. Apparently she'd just noticed Jason's sword sitting on the coffee table. **

"I never seen a imperial gold sword before." Annabeth said shrugging.

**She touched the blade gingerly, like it might be hot.**

"Well if I. . . " Leo trailed off his head moving to idea after idea.

**"Is this gold?" she said. "Do you remember where you got it?" **

"Not at the time." Jason admitted.

Though people mostly knew that already.

**"No," Jason said. "Like I said, I don't remember anything."**

"And it sucked." Percy added.

**Annabeth nodded, like she'd just come up with a rather desperate plan.**

"She is a daughter of Athena after all." Katie pointed out leaning into Travis's chest.

Travis smiled at that.

**"If Chiron won't help, we'll need to figure things out ourselves. Which means … Cabin Fifteen. **

"Cabin fifteen?" Poseidon asked.

He knew like the other gods that they started to make cabin's for the other gods but witch god was cabin fifteen?

"You'll see dad." Percy promised.

**Rachel, you'll keep an eye on Piper?"**

Jason gripped said Person's hand.

**"Sure," Rachel promised. "Good luck, you two."**

**"Hold on," Jason said. "What's in Cabin Fifteen?"**

The gods leaned forward. . .

**Annabeth stood. "Maybe a way to get your memory back."**

. . . then leaned back in a sort of disappointment.

**They headed toward a newer wing of cabins in the southwest corner of the green. Some were fancy, with glowing walls or blazing torches, but Cabin Fifteen was not so dramatic. **

Some of the people in the room tilted their heads to the side, intrigued.

**It looked like an old-fashioned prairie house with mud walls and a rush roof.**

The gods couldn't think who would have that cabin.

** On the door hung a wreath of crimson flowers —red poppies, Jason thought, though he wasn't sure how he knew.**

(I just realized why he knew. I used to live in California and the state flower is poppies. So since the roman camp was in California he would know. Crazy huh? Talk about foreshadowing.)

**"You think this is my parent's cabin?" he asked.**

"No." Zeus said bluntly.

**"No," Annabeth said. "This is the cabin for Hypnos, the god of sleep."**

Some of the gods growled, the traitor.

Athena gasped and looked at Annabeth," I get it."

Annabeth nodded.

**"Then why—"**

**"You've forgotten everything," she said. "If there's any god who can help us figure out memory loss, it's Hypnos."**

"True." Poseidon said.

**Inside, even though it was almost dinnertime, three kids were sound asleep under piles of covers.**

"There always asleep." Travis said.

** A warm fire crackled in the hearth.**

Hestia smiled tending to the hearth in the throne room.

** Above the mantel hung a tree branch, each twig dripping white liquid into a collection of tin bowls. **

Athena raised an eyebrow.

**Jason was tempted to catch a drop on his finger just to see what it was, but he held himself back.**

"Good thing too." Annabeth said.

Jason nodded in agreement.

**Soft violin music played from somewhere. The air smelled like fresh laundry. The cabin was so cozy and peaceful that Jason's eyelids started to feel heavy. **

Some people in the room started to feel it too.

**A nap sounded like a great idea. He was exhausted. ****There were plenty of empty beds, all with feather pillows and fresh sheets and fluffy quilts and **

Some closed their eyes.

**—Annabeth nudged him. "Snap out of it."**

The people that closed their eyes snapped out of it.

**Jason blinked. He realized his knees had been starting to buckle.**

"That's Hypnos for you." Hermes said.

**"Cabin Fifteen does that to everyone," Annabeth warned. "If you ask me, this place is even more dangerous than the Ares cabin. **

Athena nodded in agreement with her daughter.

**At least with Ares, you can learn where the land mines are."**

Some god's eyes widened and turned to Ares who just grinned.

**"Land mines?"**

Ares grin grew wider.

**She walked up to the nearest snoring kid and shook his shoulder. "Clovis! Wake up!"**

"Good luck with that." Travis snorted.

**The kid looked like a baby cow. **

Hera blinked.

"He can't look like a cow." Aphrodite said in degust.

**He had a blond tuft of hair on a wedge-shaped head, with thick features and a thick neck. ****His body was stocky, but he had spindly little arms like he'd never lifted anything heavier than a pillow.**

Aphrodite stared at the book.

"He probably didn't lift anything but a pillow." Connor said.

Some thought hat was logical.

**"Clovis!" Annabeth shook harder, then finally knocked on his forehead about six times.**

"Is that good for people?" Leo asked.

Annabeth shrugged.

**"Wh-wh-what?" Clovis complained, sitting up and squinting. He yawned hugely, and both Annabeth and Jason yawned too.**

Everyone in the throne room yawned in unison then stared at each other.

**"Stop that!" Annabeth said. "We need your help."**

**"I was sleeping."**

"He always sleeping." Travis repeated his earlier statement.

**"You're ****_always _****sleeping."**

Travis blushed.

**"Good night."**

**Before he could pass out, Annabeth yanked his pillow off the bed.**

"That's just cruel." Apollo said then smiled," I like that."

**"That's not fair," Clovis complained meekly. "Give it back."**

"Couldn't he just sleep without the pillow?" Grover asked the room.

Everyone shrugged.

( Have you ever woke up and your pillow ends up on the floor? Happens a lot with me)

**"First help," Annabeth said. "Then sleep."**

**Clovis sighed. His breath smelled like warm milk. "Fine. What?"**

"Why were you smelling his breath?" Connor asked Jason.

Jason blushed.

**Annabeth explained about Jason's problem. Every once in a while she'd snap her fingers under Clovis's nose to keep him awake.**

"How does he even train?" Demeter asked shoving a handful of cereal in her mouth.

They had no idea.

**Clovis must have been really excited, because when Annabeth was done, he didn't pass out. He actually stood and stretched, then blinked at Jason.**

"Wow, he must be excited, I haven't even seen him move like that." Katie said.

**"So you don't remember anything, huh?"**

**"Just impressions," Jason said. "Feelings, like …"**

"Same here." Percy whispered to Jason.

**"Yes?" Clovis said.**

**"Like I know I shouldn't be here. At this camp. I'm in danger."**

"Yes you were." Annabeth said," If we even knew who you were at the time."

**"Hmm. Close your eyes."**

**Jason glanced at Annabeth, but she nodded reassuringly.**

Everyone leaned forward.

**Jason was afraid he'd end up snoring in one of the bunks forever, but he closed his eyes. **

"Brave." Nobody knew who said that.

**His thoughts became murky, as if he were sinking into a dark lake.**

Percy twitched slightly, then he scowled.

Stupid phobia.

**The next thing he knew, his eyes snapped open. He was sitting in a chair by the fire. Clovis and Annabeth knelt next to him.**

"Fire. . . " Leo and Hephaestus said at the same time.

**"—serious, all right," Clovis was saying.**

"Serious?" Zeus asked.

He was ignored.

**"What happened?" Jason said. "How long—"**

**"Just a few minutes," Annabeth said. "But it was tense. You almost dissolved."**

Everyone that didn't know about it eyes widened.

That must of been intense.

**Jason hoped she didn't mean ****_literally_****, but her expression was solemn.**

"Well. . . that sounded to close for comfort." Chris commented.

**"Usually," Clovis said, "memories are lost for a good reason. **

"I guess. . . " Jason trailed off thinking about everything that happened to him in such a short time.

**They sink under the surface like dreams, and with a good sleep, I can bring them back. But this …"**

Everyone glared at Hera.

She sat there indifferent.

**"Lethe?" Annabeth asked.**

Nico looked down at the mention of the river.

Hades bit his lip.

**"No," Clovis said. "Not even Lethe."**

**"Lethe?" Jason asked.**

Some looked at Jason like, _really?_

**Clovis pointed to the tree branch dripping milky drops above the fireplace. "The River Lethe in the Underworld. **

Percy nodded.

So did Nico and Thalia.

**It dissolves your memories, wipes your mind clean permanently. That's the branch of a poplar tree from the Underworld, dipped into the Lethe. It's the symbol of my father, Hypnos. Lethe is not a place you want to go swimming."**

"Yeah not fun." Percy said.

Everyone stared at him except the people who knew what happened.

**Annabeth nodded. "Percy went there once. He told me it was powerful enough to wipe the mind of a Titan."**

"I renamed him Bob." Percy said grinning.

Nico and Thalia laughed. while everyone stared at Percy thinking he must be crazy.

**Jason was suddenly glad he hadn't touched the branch. **

"Good thing you didn't. That would have been bad." Apollo and Hermes said at the same time.

they turned at each other raising identical eyebrows.

**"But … that's not my problem?"**

**"No," Clovis agreed. "Your mind wasn't wiped, and your memories weren't buried. They've been stolen."**

"By a certain goddesses." Annabeth sneered.

**The fire crackled. Drops of Lethe water plinked into the tin cups on the mantel. One of the other Hypnos campers muttered in his sleep—something about a duck.**

Everyone laughed at that.

Who's wouldn't?

**"Stolen," Jason said. "How?"**

**"A god," Clovis said. "Only a god would have that kind of power."**

Everyone turned to Hera for what it felt like the millionth time in this chapter.

**"We know that," said Jason. "It was Juno. But how did she do it, and why?"**

"You will know all the answers soon my grasshopper." Leo said dramatically.

Jason rolled his eyes but smiled at his friend.

**Clovis scratched his neck. "Juno?"**

**"He means Hera," Annabeth said. "For some reason, Jason likes the Roman names."**

"There's a reason for that." Jason said shrugging.

**"Hmm," Clovis said.**

**"What?" Jason asked. "Does that mean something?"**

Maybe. . . .

**"Hmm," Clovis said again, and this time Jason realized he was snoring.**

Everyone snorted at that.

**"Clovis!" he yelled.**

**"What? What?" His eyes fluttered open. "We were talking about pillows, right? **

Everyone laughed even harder at that.

**No, gods. I remember. Greek and Roman. Sure, could be important."**

"Very." Percy said nonchalantly.

**"But they're the same gods," Annabeth said. "Just different names."**

**"Not exactly," Clovis said.**

Athena nodded.

**Jason sat forward, now very much awake. "What do you mean, not exactly?"**

**"Well …" Clovis yawned. "Some gods are only Roman. Like Janus,**

"Met him." Percy said.

** or Pomona. But even the major Greek gods—it's not just their names that changed when they moved to Rome. Their appearances changed. Their attributes changed. They even had slightly different personalities."**

Athena scowled at the reminder.

**"But …" Annabeth faltered. "Okay, so maybe people saw them differently through the centuries. That doesn't change who they are."**

"It can." Apollo said.

"How would you know? You didn't change." Artemis said.

Apollo shrugged.

( anybody think that Apollo will help out the seven anytime soon? He wouldn't have the problem of a second personality.)

**"Sure it does." Clovis began to nod off, and Jason snapped his fingers under his nose.**

"That must get annoying after a while." Hephaestus grumbled behind his beard.

**"Coming, Mother!" he yelped. **

Everyone laughed.

**"I mean … Yeah, I'm awake. So, um, personalities. The gods change to reflect their host cultures. You know that, Annabeth. I mean, these days, Zeus likes tailored suits, reality television, and that Chinese food place on East Twenty-eighth Street, right?**

Zeus blushed.

** It was the same in Roman times, and the gods were Roman almost as long as they were Greek.**

"Almost." Jason said.

** It was a big empire, lasted for centuries. So of course their Roman aspects are still a big part of their character."**

The gods looked at each other.

_Interesting._

**"Makes sense," Jason said.**

**Annabeth shook her head, mystified. "But how do you know all this, Clovis?"**

"That's a good question." Hades said thoughtfully.

**"Oh, I spend a lot of time dreaming. I see the gods there all the time—always shifting forms. **

"Does that count as stalking?" Apollo asked.

He was ignored.

**Dreams are fluid, you know. You can be in different places at once, always changing identities. It's a lot like being a god, actually. Like recently, I dreamed I was watching a Michael Jackson concert,**

Everyone raised their eyebrows.

** and then I was onstage ****_with _****Michael Jackson, and we were singing this duet, and I could ****_not _****remember the words for 'The Girl Is Mine.' Oh, man, it was so embarrassing, I—"**

Everyone laughed.

Clovis was quite the character.

**"Clovis," Annabeth interrupted. "Back to Rome?"**

" Aww I wanted him to finish." Apollo said pouting.

**"Right, Rome," Clovis said. "So we call the gods by their Greek names because that's their original form. But saying their Roman aspects are exactly the same—that's not true. **

Jason nodded.

**In Rome, they became more warlike. They didn't mingle with mortals as much. They were harsher, more powerful—the gods of an empire."**

"There camp was like that too." Percy whispered to Annabeth.

**"Like the dark side of the gods?" Annabeth asked.**

"Hey." Jason said.

"Sorry." Annabeth apologized.

**"Not exactly," Clovis said. "They stood for discipline, honor, strength—"**

**"Good things, then," Jason said. For some reason, he felt the need to speak up for the Roman gods, though wasn't sure why it mattered to him.**

"It matters a great deal." Demeter said.

** "I mean, discipline is important, right? That's what made Rome last so long."**

Everyone was silent for a moment.

**Clovis gave him a curious look. "That's true. But the Roman gods weren't very friendly. For instance, my dad, Hypnos … he didn't do much except sleep in Greek times. **

"Just like his son. I bet his father is proud." Connor said grinning.

**In Roman times, they called him Somnus. He liked killing people who didn't stay alert at their jobs.**

"That's terrible." Piper said.

Jason bit his lip.

The Janitor of Olympus snapped away after dozing off. . .

. . . he had a strange filling about falling asleep.

** If they nodded off at the wrong time, ****_boom—_****they never woke up. **

Grover shivered.

That could have been him.

**He killed the helmsman of Aeneas when they were sailing from Troy."**

**"Nice guy," Annabeth said. "But I still don't understand what it has to do with Jason."**

"Has a lot to do with Jason." Hermes said looking at a message that popped up on his phone.

**"Neither do I," Clovis said. "But if Hera took your memory, only she can give it back.**

Everyone looked at Hera once again.

** And if I had to meet the queen of the gods, I'd hope she was more in a Hera mood than a Juno mood. Can I go back to sleep now?"**

Everyone rolled their eyes.

Hera humped.

**Annabeth stared at the branch above the fire, dripping Lethe water into the cups. She looked so worried, Jason wondered if she was considering a drink to forget her troubles.**

"Please don't do that." Percy said.

"Never." Annabeth said smiling at her boyfriend.

** Then she stood and tossed Clovis his pillow. "Thanks, Clovis. We'll see you at dinner."**

"Does he even_ go_ to dinner?" Poseidon asked.

The Demigods shrugged.

**"Can I get room service?" Clovis yawned and stumbled to his bunk. "I feel like … zzzz …" He collapsed with his butt in the air and his face buried in pillow.**

Everyone laughed.

**"Won't he suffocate?" Jason asked.**

Everyone was still snickering but was starting to calm down.

**"He'll be fine," Annabeth said. "But I'm beginning to think that you are in serious trouble."**

"Well that's doesn't sound very good for you man." Leo said to his best friend.

Jason rolled his eyes.

"That's the end of the chapter." Percy said.

"I'll read next." Nico volunteered.

Percy passed him the book.

* * *

**I hope you liked it**

**sorry again for taking so long to update**

**please review**

**see you**


	11. Chapter 11

**hope you like it**

**And I saw the second Percy Jackson movie and it was pretty good, way better than the first movie but that could be just my opinion. It still had a lot of things that irked me a bit but it wasn't that bad. Better than I thought it would be.**

**Also I'm starting school on Thursday. This will probably be my last update this summer because I have a lot of things I have to do to get ready for school. One of which is a certain reading assignment. . . I like reading but the book I have to read is one of those you don't like at all then it goes on and on and on and I'm spending most of my time on it. . . but I will try to get more chapters out during the school year and maybe one more update this summer. At least try to get one done every weekend if I'm not busy.**

**Also. . . again. . . I got up to over 420 reviews at chapter ten . . . ****WOOO! Thanks guys that really made my day.**

**Oh and I found out some spoilers for the house of hades. Were going to find out Annabeth's birthday and Rachel will meet Octavian. **

**Remember to vote on my poll.**

**enjoy the chapter **

* * *

Nico opened it to the next chapter.

**"Piper IX," **Nico read.

"Looks like it's my point of view again." Piper sighed.

**Piper dreamed about her last day with her dad.**

Piper bit her lip.

Did she really want people to see this?

**They were on the beach near Big Sur, taking a break from surfing. **

( Even thought I lived in California never surfed before. Didn't really need to know that but whatever.)

**The morning had been so perfect, Piper knew something had to go wrong soon**

"Does it go wrong a lot?" Apollo asked actually sounded curious.

Piper nodded," A lot."

** —a rabid horde of paparazzi, or maybe a great white shark attack. **

"I promise that I won't sick a shark on you Piper." Poseidon said with a straight face.

"Uh. . . thanks?" Piper said but I came out as more of a question.

Poseidon laughed," I was kidding but I won't sick a shark on you."

Piper nodded.

"Why paparazzi?" Hermes asked.

Piper bit her lip," You'll see."

Aphrodite stared at her daughter, thinking.

**No way her luck could hold.**

"It can't be as bad as kelp head's over their though." Thalia pointed out.

"Hey . . ." Percy protested then was quiet for a few seconds," . . . true."

**But so far, they'd had excellent waves, an overcast sky, and a mile of oceanfront completely to themselves.**

"Nice!" Travis said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"We have our own beach front at camp." Katie pointed out.

Travis shrugged.

"I love that beach." Percy said wistfully. He missed it so much.

"Of course you do." Nico said rolling his eyes.

**Dad had found this out-of-the-way spot, rented a beachfront villa ****_and _****the properties on either side, **

"Wow that must of been expensive." Katie said turning to Piper.

"It was." Piper said.

**and somehow managed to keep it secret. **

"He's good." Hermes said thoughtfully.

**If he stayed there too long, Piper knew the photographers would find him. They always did.**

"Wait, paparazzi and photographers. . . is your dad Tristan McLean?" Athena asked connecting the dots.

Piper nodded.

Well that explained things.

Some people gapped at her.

Some said," Cool!"

Some just shrugged, uncaring( can you guess who they are?).

**"Nice job out there, Pipes." He gave her the smile he was famous for: perfect teeth, dimpled chin, a twinkle in his dark eyes that always made grown women scream**

"Well I can see why Aphrodite liked him." Artemis rolled her eyes.

Aphrodite glared at her.

Piper felt a little offended.

** and ask him to sign their bodies in permanent marker.**

"Wow. . . "Thalia said.

** ( ****_Seriously_****, Piper thought, ****_get a life_****.) **

"My thoughts exactly." Thalia said smiling at Piper.

Piper smiled back.

**His close-cropped black hair gleamed with salt water. "You're getting better at hanging ten."**

"Percy did you ever find out if you were good at surfing?" Nico asked.

Percy gave him a look.

Nico laughed.

**Piper flushed with pride, though she suspected Dad was just being nice. **

"Maybe . . . " Travis said Dramatically.

"Or maybe not." Connor continued.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

Katie sighed.

**She still spent most of her time wiping out. It took special talent to run over yourself with a surfboard.**

"Okay he was being nice." Leo confirmed.

Piper made a face at him.

Leo just grinned.

** Her ****_dad _****was the natural surfer—which made no sense since he'd been raised a poor kid in Oklahoma, hundreds of miles from the ocean—**

"How did that happen?" Percy asked confused.

Poseidon shrugged," No idea son. No idea."

**but he was amazing on the curls. Piper would've given up surfing a long time ago except it let her spend time with him. There weren't many ways she could do that.**

Aphrodite looked up from her mirror, wondering.

Jason grabbed Piper's hand gently.

Piper gave him a smile.

**"Sandwich?" Dad dug into the picnic basket his chef, Arno, had made. **

"You had your chef make a sandwich?" Katie asked raising an eyebrow.

Piper blushed.

"Is it just me or does anyone want that sandwich right now?" Percy said.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

"You just ate a little while ago." Annabeth said.

Percy shrugged.

Nobody notice Apollo close his mouth.

**"Let's see: turkey pesto, Crabcake wasabi—ah, a Piper special. Peanut butter and jelly."**

Percy smiled thinking about Tyson and his "war cry".

"Crabcake?" Poseidon said but nobody heard him.

**She took the sandwich, though her stomach was too upset to eat. **

"I hate when that happens." Chris said.

All the guys nodded in agreement.

**She always asked for PB&J. Piper was vegetarian, for one thing. **

Some people looked shocked like 'What?!'.

**She had been ever since they'd driven past that slaughterhouse in Chino and the smell had made her insides want to come outside.**

Some people grimaced.

Apollo was thinking about his cows for some reason. . .

** But it was more than that. PB&J was simple food, like a regular kid would have for lunch. **

"You know unless you allergic to peanut butter. . . " Travis said.

"Or Jelly." Connor finished.

**Sometimes she pretended her dad had actually made it for her, not a personal chef from France who liked to wrap the sandwich in gold leaf paper with a light-up sparkler instead of a toothpick.**

"Wow, high class sandwich." Leo said grinning.

**Couldn't anything be simple? That's why she turned down the fancy clothes Dad always offered, the designer shoes, the trips to the salon. **

"Oh that's why you don't really look like an Aphrodite girl." Percy said.

**She cut her own hair with a pair of plastic Garfield safety scissors, deliberately making it uneven. **

Jason looked at Piper and leaned in closer to her ear.

"I like it." Jason whispered.

Piper blushed red.

**She preferred to wear beat-up running shoes, jeans, a T-shirt, and her old Polartec jacket from the time they went snowboarding.**

( I'm just like that, not kidding. . . )

**And she hated the snobby private schools Dad thought were good for her. She kept getting herself kicked out. He kept finding more schools.**

"Kind of like my mom." Percy said.

"How many schools was there?" Annabeth asked her boyfriend.

Percy thought about it for a long moment," I lost count . . ."

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**Yesterday, she'd pulled her biggest heist yet—driving that "borrowed" BMW out of the dealership.**

Travis and Connor grinned," High five!"

Piper stared at them.

"So that as when you stole it," Leo said grinning.

"I didn't steal it." Piper said.

"Same thing." Leo waved off.

**She ****_had _****to pull a bigger stunt each time, because it took more and more to get Dad's attention.**

Aphrodite's perfect eyebrow scrunched together confused.

**Now she regretted it. Dad didn't know yet.**

"And he just took you on vacation." Clarisse said.

"Yeah." Piper looked down biting her lip.

**She'd meant to tell him that morning. Then he'd surprised her with this trip, and she couldn't ruin it. It was the first time they'd had a day together in what—three months?**

Apollo whistled," Long time."

"I wouldn't want to ruin it either." Katie said.

**"What's wrong?" He passed her a soda.**

"Oh you know just guilty about stealing a car and not telling you. . . " Thalia said.

"I didn't -" Piper said then stopped.

What is the point?

**"Dad, there's something—"**

**"Hold on, Pipes. That's a serious face. Ready for Any Three Questions?"**

"Oh that game." Connor said.

Everyone looked at him.

"Would play it with Travis." Connor said shrugging.

( okay anybody wondering were there parents are. The Stolls never left camp so are the gone or. . . any idea?")

**They'd been playing that game for years—her dad's way of staying connected in the shortest possible amount of time.**

Hermes scratched his chin thinking.

** They could ask each other any three questions. Nothing off-limits, and you had to answer honestly.**

"Anything?" Leo said grinning at Piper.

Piper smacked him up side the head.

"Ow!"

** The rest of the time, Dad promised to stay out of her business—which was easy, since he was never around.**

The demigods looked down.

Their godly parent were better now but. . .

The gods looked on , guilt rising in their chests.

**Piper knew most kids would find a Q&A like this with their parents totally mortifying.**

Some shrugged.

Dionysus was getting tiered of his magazine but he didn't want to seen, like he cared what really happened.

Dionysus sighed and flipped to the next page not even liking the wine on the page.

** But she looked forward to it. It was like surfing—not easy, but a way to feel like she actually had a father.**

Aphrodite looked at her daughter.

She would talk to her soon.

**"First question," she said. "Mom."**

Aphrodite blinked then smiled at her daughter.

**No surprise. That was always one of her topics.**

"Just like Percy with his mother." Athena said remembering from the first book.

Percy smiled but it was a little sad.

She hadn't seen her for so long.

**Her dad shrugged with resignation. "What do you want to know, Piper? I've already told you—she disappeared. I don't know why, or where she went. **

"Probably to a mall." Artemis rolled her eyes.

Aphrodite glared at her.

**After you were born, she simply left. I never heard from her again."**

"You never told him who you were?" Demeter asked.

"It was better that way." Aphrodite stated.

**"Do you think she's still alive?"**

"Well she's right there. . . " Hermes said grinning.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

How many times did they do that this chapter?

**It wasn't a real question. Dad was allowed to say he didn't know. But she wanted to hear how he'd answer.**

Some people leaned forward without realizing their actions.

**He stared at the waves.**

Poseidon and Percy both smiled wistfully.

**"Your Grandpa Tom," he said at last, "he used to tell me that if you walked far enough toward the sunset, you'd come to Ghost Country, where you could talk to the dead. **

"You know technically he was right." Nico said.

Everyone stared at him.

"The sun sets in the west . . . " Hades said joining in with his son seeing I people will get it.

"Oh." Athena said surprised that she didn't think of it first.

Others got it too but some still stared not getting it( take a guess).

**He said a long time ago, you could bring the dead back; but then mankind messed up. Well, it's a long story."**

Everyone looked at Nico and Hades unconsciously.

**"Like the Land of the Dead for the Greeks," Piper remembered. "It was in the west, too. **

"Oh!" Said the people that finally figured out what Nico and Hades was saying before.

Some in the room face-palmed.

**And Orpheus—he tried to bring his wife back."**

"And failed." Nico continued.

**Dad nodded. A year before, he'd had his biggest role as an Ancient Greek king.**

Piper blushed thinking about the poster.

** Piper had helped him research the myths—all those old stories about people getting turned to stone and boiled in lakes of lava.**

Percy shuddered," Not a good experience."

While Leo said," I wouldn't have boiled."

** They'd had a fun time reading together, and it made Piper's life seem not so bad. For a while she'd felt closer to her dad, but like everything, it didn't last.**

"Every good thing has to end sometime." Apollo said sadly.

Everyone looked at him.

**"Lot of similarities between Greek and Cherokee," Dad agreed. "Wonder what your grandpa would think if he saw us now, sitting at the end of the western land. He'd probably think we're ghosts."**

Some people in the throne room chuckled at that.

**"So you're saying you believe those stories? You think Mom is dead?"**

Aphrodite looked at the book, curious.

**His eyes watered, and Piper saw the sadness behind them. **

Some in the room felt sorry for him.

Aphrodite looked pained.

**She figured that's why women were so attracted to him. On the surface, he seemed confident and rugged, but his eyes held so much sadness. **

Everyone looked around the room looking for the certain detail in everyone's eyes.

Some found it.

**Women wanted to find out why. They wanted to comfort him, and they never could.**

Everyone stopped to think about that for a moment.

** Dad told Piper it was a Cherokee thing—they all had that darkness inside them from generations of pain and suffering. But Piper thought it was more than that.**

So did some in the room.

**"I don't believe the stories," he said. "They're fun to tell, but if I really believed in Ghost Country, or animal spirits, or Greek gods … I don't think I could sleep at night. I'd always be looking for somebody to blame."**

"Kind of ironic he would say that." Apollo said grinning blinding everyone in the room.

**Somebody to blame for Grandpa Tom dying of lung cancer, Piper thought, **

There was a quick moment of silence.

**before Dad got famous and had the money to help.**

"That sucks." Travis said.

Everyone nodded.

** For Mom—the only woman he'd ever loved —abandoning him without even a good-bye note, leaving him with a newborn girl he wasn't ready to care for. **

"That must have been hard." Hera said looking at everyone.

**For his being so successful, and yet still not happy.**

"Money isn't everything." Hermes said wisely.

**"I don't know if she's alive," he said. "But I do think she might as well be in Ghost Country, Piper. There's no getting her back. If I believed otherwise … I don't think I could stand that, either."**

"That's so sad." Hestia said staring into the fire.

Everyone jumped at her words.

She was so quiet everyone forgot she was there.

**Behind them, a car door opened. Piper turned, and her heart sank.**

"What is it?" Hermes asked curiously.

"Jane." Piper said.

Hermes blinked.

** Jane was marching toward them in her business suit, wobbling over the sand in her high heels, her PDA in hand. The look on her face was partly annoyed, partly triumphant,**

"Triumphant?" Percy asked.

Piper nodded.

** and Piper knew she'd been in touch with the police.**

"Uh-oh. . . " Travis and Connor breathed simultaneously," busted."

Some eyes went wide at the realization.

**Please fall down, Piper prayed.**

"Well that's rude." Hera interrupted.

**_If there's any animal spirit or Greek god that can help, make Jane take a header._**

Some gods, and you know who, grinned.

**_ I'm not asking for permanent _****damage, just knock her out for the rest of the day, please?**

Some laughed at that.

**But Jane kept advancing.**

"Aww! I wanted her to take a header!" Dionysus yelled.

Everyone turned toward him their eyes wide.

Dionysus blinked then quickly hid behind his magazine.

"That was weird." Percy whispered into Annabeth ear.

Dionysus continued to look at his magazine.

**"Dad," Piper said quickly. "Something happened yesterday…"**

"Might be to late for that." Apollo said.

He is the god of prophecy after all.

**But he'd seen Jane, too. **

Apollo grimaced.

Some times it sucked seeing what would happen next.

**He was already reconstructing his business face. Jane wouldn't be here if it wasn't serious. **

"Like Piper stealing a car." Clarisse said.

Piper glared at her.

Clarisse just shrugged.

**A studio head called—a project fell through—or Piper had messed up again.**

"You have your own category?" Leo asked.

Jason smacked his arm like ' shut up'.

**"We'll get back to that, Pipes," he promised. "I'd better see what Jane wants. You know how she is."**

"Yes I do." Piper said.

Jason looked at her.

**Yes—Piper knew. Dad trudged across the sand to meet her. Piper couldn't hear them talking, but she didn't need to. She was good at reading faces.**

"Like some in the room. . . . " Nobody knew who said that sentence.

**Jane gave him the facts about the stolen car, occasionally pointing at Piper like she was a disgusting pet that had whizzed on the carpet.**

Aphrodite glared at the book with fierce determination.

Everyone scooted away from her.

Nico gulped as he was holding the book.

**Dad's energy and enthusiasm drained away. **

Everyone in the throne room looked at Piper with sad looks.

She shrugged it off.

**He gestured for Jane to wait. Then he walked back to Piper. She couldn't stand that look in his eyes —like she'd betrayed his trust.**

Piper bit her lip looking at the ground.

**"You told me you would try, Piper," he said.**

"I did. . .at first." Piper said.

**"Dad, I hate that school. I can't do it. I wanted to tell you about the BMW, but—"**

"Jane got in the way, oh and he took you on vacation." Connor finished.

**"They've expelled you," he said. "A car, Piper? You're sixteen next year. I would buy you any car you want. How could you—"**

"Any car?" Travis said interrupting Nico.

Piper nodded suspiciously.

"I'll keep that in mind." Travis said," Carry on."

**"You mean ****_Jane _****would buy me a car?" Piper demanded. She couldn't help it. The anger just welled up and spilled out of her.**

"Reminds me of someone. . . " Annabeth said looking at Percy.

"What?" Percy asked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

** "Dad, just listen for once. Don't make me wait for you to ask your stupid three questions. I want to go to regular school. I want ****_you _****to take me to parents' night, not Jane.**

Some winced at that.

** Or homeschool me! I learned so much when we read about Greece together. **

The gods beamed without realizing it.

**We could do that all the time! We could—"**

**"Don't make this about me," her dad said. "I do the best I can, Piper. We've had this conversation."**

Piper looked down.

Jason took her head.

**No, she thought. ****_You've cut off this conversation. For years._**

"Is he doing that now?" Percy asked.

**Her dad sighed. "Jane's talked to the police, brokered a deal. The dealership won't press charges, but you have to agree to go to a boarding school in Nevada. They specialize in problems … in kids with tough issues."**

"Hey! I don't have issues!" Leo yelled.

"Yeah right repair boy." Piper said.

Leo pouted.

**"That's what I am." Her voice trembled. "A problem."**

"Your not a problem." Jason whispered to her.

She gave him a smile.

**"Piper … you said you'd try. You let me down. I don't know what else to do."**

**"Do anything," she said. "But do it yourself! Don't let Jane handle it for you. You can't just send me away."**

Everyone stayed quiet.

**Dad looked down at the picnic basket. His sandwich sat uneaten on a piece of gold leaf paper. **

"Gold?" Travis and Connor said.

They were ignored.

**They'd planned for a whole afternoon in the surf. Now that was ruined.**

"That sucks." Thalia said.

**Piper couldn't believe he'd really give in to Jane's wishes. Not this time. Not on something as huge as boarding school.**

**"Go see her," Dad said. "She's got the details."**

"Here we go." Poseidon said.

**"Dad …"**

**He looked away, gazing at the ocean like he could see all the way to Ghost Country. Piper promised herself she wouldn't cry. **

Piper closed her eyes for a brief moment.

**She headed up the beach toward Jane, who smiled coldly and held up a plane ticket. **

"I'm not liking Jane." Hermes said.

A lot of people nodded.

**As usual, she'd already arranged everything. Piper was just another problem of the day that Jane could now check off her list.**

Everyone was quiet for a long moment then went back to reading.

**Piper's dream changed.**

Everyone groaned.

**She stood on a mountaintop at night, city lights glimmering below.**

"Wow nice view," Thalia said.

Piper didn't say anything.

**In front of her, a bonfire blazed. Purplish flames seemed to cast more shadows than light, but the heat was so intense, her clothes steamed.**

"That's really hot." Percy said.

"Really Seaweed brain?" Annabeth asked.

"What?" Percy asked confused.

Annabeth just sighed.

**"This is your second warning," a voice rumbled, so powerful it shook the earth. **

"That's creepy." Travis, Connor, and Chris said at the same time.

They looked at each other with surprise plastered on their faces.

Some laughed at their expression.

"Second Warning?" Athena asked.

She was ignored.

**Piper had heard that voice before in her dreams. She'd tried to convince herself it wasn't as scary as she remembered, but it was worse.**

Everyone shivered.

**Behind the bonfire, a huge face loomed out of the darkness.**

"Okay that is really creepy." Hermes said.

** It seemed to float above the flames, but Piper knew it must be connected to an enormous body. The crude features might've been chiseled out of rock.**

Some raised their eyebrows at that.

** The face hardly seemed alive except for its piercing white eyes, like raw diamonds, and its horrible frame of dreadlocks, braided with human bones.**

Everyone looked disgusted.

** It smiled, and Piper shivered.**

So did some in the room. . . .

**"You'll do what you're told," the giant said. "You'll go on the quest. Do our bidding, and you may walk away alive. Otherwise—"**

Everyone stared at the book.

**He gestured to one side of the fire. Piper's father was hanging unconscious, tied to a stake.**

"What?!" Was heard around the room.

Piper bit her lip.

"He kidnapped. . . " Aphrodite whispered eyes steamy.

**She tried to cry out. She wanted to call to her dad, and demand the giant let him go, but her voice wouldn't work.**

"Always happens in demigod dreams." Percy said sadly.

He would know the best.

**"I'll be watching," the giant said. "Serve me, and you both live. You have the word of Enceladus.**

The God's eyes widened.

"Who?" Hades asked.

"Enceladus." Piper said.

The god exchanged looks.

This was bad.

The giants.

** Fail me … well, I've slept for millennia, young demigod. I am ****_very _****hungry. Fail, and I'll eat well."**

"That's just gross!" Katie yelled.

Others looked on with the same disgust.

**The giant roared with laughter. The earth trembled. A crevice opened at Piper's feet, and she tumbled into darkness.**

Everyone shivered.

**She woke feeling like she'd been trampled by an Irish step-dancing troupe.**

"Ow." Leo said wincing like he knew the feeling.

Nobody asked. . .

** Her chest hurt, and she could barely breathe. **

Percy twitched but nobody noticed.

_Stupid fear_ Percy thought.

( I know what it's like not to be able to breathe, It's scary. I have Asthma, were it makes it hard to breath. . . )

**She reached down and closed her hand around the hilt of the dagger Annabeth had given her—Katoptris, Helen of Troy's weapon.**

Aphrodite sighed dreamily.

**So Camp Half-Blood hadn't been a dream.**

"Nope." Percy said grinning happily.

He was so glad it wasn't.

**"How are you feeling?" someone asked.**

"Who?" Grover asked.

**Piper tried to focus. She was lying in a bed with a white curtain on one side, like in a nurse's office. **

"The infirmary." All the Demigods said at the same time.

The gods smiled though it was strained.

_The Giants._

**That redheaded girl, Rachel Dare, sat next to her. **

"You know who said it now G-man." Percy said.

Grover blushed.

**On the wall was a poster of a cartoon satyr who looked disturbingly like Coach Hedge with a thermometer sticking out of his mouth. The caption read: Don't let sickness get your goat!**

Everyone laughed at that.

**"Where—" Piper's voice died when she saw the guy at the door.**

"She saw Argus for the first time didn't she?" Percy asked.

Piper nodded.

**He looked like a typical California surfer dude—buff and tan, blond hair, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. But he had hundreds of blue eyes all over his body—along his arms, down his legs, and all over his face. Even his feet had eyes, peering up at her from between the straps of his sandals.**

"And one on his tongue. . . " Hermes said absently.

**"That's Argus," Rachel said, "our head of security. He's just keeping an eye on things … so to speak."**

"That was a horrible pun Dare." Travis said shaking his head.

**Argus nodded. The eye on his chin winked.**

Everyone laughed at that.

**"Where—?" Piper tried again, but she felt like she was talking through a mouthful of cotton.**

"I hate when that happens." Percy said making a face.

**"You're in the Big House," Rachel said. "Camp offices. We brought you here when you collapsed."**

"And scared everyone because they thought you might have died." Thalia finished.

**"You grabbed me," Piper remembered. "Hera's voice—"**

Everyone glared at a certain goddess.

The goddess royally ignored them.

**"I'm so sorry about that," Rachel said. "Believe me, it was ****_not _****my idea to get possessed. Chiron healed you with some nectar—"**

The gods smiled at the drink.

**"Nectar?"**

"Tastes awesome." Nobody could recall looking back on this who said that.

**"The drink of the gods. In small amounts, it heals demigods, if it doesn't—ah—burn you to ashes."**

"Nice way of putting it dare." Annabeth said shaking her head.

**"Oh. Fun."**

**Rachel sat forward. "Do you remember your vision?"**

"Well everyone knows it now. . . " Leo said shrugging.

**Piper had a moment of dread, thinking she meant the dream about the giant. **

Everyone shivered.

The gods exchanged another look.

**Then she realized Rachel was talking about what happened in Hera's cabin.**

Again everyone glared at certain goddess.

**"Something's wrong with the goddess," Piper said. "She told me to free her, like she's trapped.**

"Well you never know. . . " Leo said grinning.

Piper smacked his arm.

"Ow!"

** She mentioned the earth swallowing us, and a fiery one, and something about the solstice."**

"It's always happens of the solstice doesn't it." Percy said.

Everyone in the room stared at him.

**In the corner, Argus made a rumbling sound in his chest. His eyes all fluttered at once.**

"Aww." Aphrodite cooed," That's so sweet."

**"Hera created Argus," Rachel explained. **

"About the only thing Hera did right." Annabeth muttered under her breath.

**"He's actually very sensitive when it comes to her safety. We're trying to keep him from crying, because last time that happened …well, it caused quite a flood."**

"I can imagine with all the eyes." Katie said.

**Argus sniffled. He grabbed a fistful of Kleenex from the bedside table and started dabbing eyes all over his body.**

"That must been a weird sight to a mortal." Percy said.

"I wonder what it would have looked like to them." Annabeth said.

**"So …" Piper tried not to stare as Argus wiped the tears from his elbows. "What's happened to Hera?"**

The gods looked at the demigods.

They didn't say anything.

**"We're not sure," Rachel said. "Annabeth and Jason were here for you, by the way. Jason didn't want to leave you,**

Aphrodite cooed loudly.

Jason and Piper blushed the same deep red.

That just made Aphrodite coo even more.

** but Annabeth had an idea —something that might restore his memories."**

**"That's … that's great."**

"It is. . . " Percy trailed off smiling.

He was glad he had his memories.

**Jason had been here for her? She wished she'd been conscious for that.**

Piper blushed even more.

Why did they have read her thoughts?

Percy smirked at her like' now you know how I feel'.

** But if he got his memories back, would that be a good thing? She was still holding out hope that they really did know each other. She didn't want their relationship to be just a trick of the Mist.**

Jason took her hand gently and whispered," It isn't now."

Piper looked at their interlocked fingers and smiled.

**Get over yourself, she thought. If she was going to save her dad, it didn't matter whether Jason liked her or not. He would hate her eventually.**

Jason started to protest but Nico read on.

**Everyone here would.**

Now everyone was protesting except for a chosen few.

Can you guess?

**She looked down at the ceremonial dagger strapped to her side. Annabeth had said it was a sign of power and status, but not normally used in battle.**

"It still can be used." Athena and Ares said at the same time.

Ares closed his mouth horrified.

Athena stared at him.

** All show and no substance. A fake, just like Piper. **

"Your not a fake Piper." Jason said firmly.

Piper gave him kiss on his cheek.

He blushed.

**And its name was Katoptris, looking glass. She didn't dare unsheathe it again, because she couldn't bear to see her own reflection.**

"And something else." Piper said.

**"Don't worry." Rachel squeezed her arm. "Jason seems like a good guy. He had a vision too, a lot like yours. Whatever's happening with Hera—I think you two are meant to work together."**

"Hey what about me!" Leo yelled.

"Nobody could forget repair boy." Piper said.

**Rachel smiled like this was good news, but Piper's spirits plunged even further. **

Everyone raised their eyebrows.

**She'd thought that this quest—whatever it was—would involve nameless people. **

"So Were nameless?" Leo said grabbing Jason in a one arm hug and pointing at both of their faces.

Jason pushed away from him while Piper rolled her eyes.

**Now Rachel was basically telling her: G****_ood news! Not only is your dad being held ransom by a cannibal giant, you also get to betray _****the guy you like! How awesome is that?**

"Okay that isn't good news." Katie said.

Travis looked up.

**"Hey," Rachel said. "No need to cry. You'll figure it out."**

Ares snorted_, crying?_

**Piper wiped her eyes, trying to get control of herself. This wasn't like her. She was supposed to be tough—a hardened car thief,**

"But you didn't steal the car_ Piper." _Leo said raising one eyebrow.

"Shut up Leo."

** the scourge of L.A. private schools. Here she was, crying like a baby. "How can you know what I'm facing?"**

"Oh, she just can see the future. . . " Percy said grinning.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**Rachel shrugged. "I know it's a hard choice, and your options aren't great. Like I said, I get hunches sometimes.**

Everyone snorted.

**But you're going to be claimed at the campfire. I'm almost sure. When you know who your godly parent is, things might be clearer."**

Aphrodite smiled at her daughter.

**Clearer, Piper thought. Not necessarily better.**

Aphrodite pouted.

"Sorry mom." Piper said.

**She sat up in bed. Her forehead ached like someone had driven a spike between her eyes.**

"Ow." Was heard around the room.

"There was this guy in the underworld that-" Nico started but got cut off by Thalia.

"I don't want to know." Thalia said.

Nico blushed.

**_There's no getting your mother back, _****her dad had told her. **

"Well . . . " Apollo said trailing off dramatically.

**B****ut apparently, tonight, her mom might claim her. For the first time, Piper wasn't sure she wanted that.**

Aphrodite stared at her daughter confused.

**"I hope it's Athena." She looked up, afraid Rachel might make fun of her, but the oracle just smiled.**

Athena smiled at the daughter of Aphrodite.

Piper smiled back.

"Don't all children of Athena have blond hair?" Percy asked.

"Yeah I guess Athena has a thing for blondes." Poseidon said smirking.

Athena glared at him.

**"Piper, I don't blame you. Truthfully? I think Annabeth is hoping that too. You guys are a lot alike."**

"I was." Annabeth admitted.

Piper gave her a smile.

Annabeth smiled back.

Jason and Percy looked at each other.

**The comparison made Piper feel even guiltier. "Another hunch? You don't know anything about me."**

Apollo grinned.

**"You'd be surprised."**

"_Ominous. . ._ " Travis and Connor said in a creepy voice.

**"You're just saying that because you're an oracle, aren't you? You're supposed to sound all mysterious."**

Everyone laughed.

**Rachel laughed. "Don't be giving away my secrets, Piper.**

"Well that secret isn't one anymore." Percy said.

** And don't worry. Things will work out—just maybe not the way you plan."**

"Yeah." Piper said.

**"That's not making me feel better."**

**Somewhere in the distance, a conch horn blew. Argus grumbled and opened the door.**

"Grumbled?" Hermes asked.

He was ignored.

**"Dinner?" Piper guessed.**

**"You slept through it," Rachel said. "Time for the campfire. Let's go find out who you are."**

"Well this should be interesting." Travis grinning wiggling his eyebrows.

Katie smacked him upside the head.

"Thanks Katie." Piper said smiling.

"No problem." Katie said smiling back.

"That's the end of the chapter." Nico said.

"I'll read." Poseidon said.

Nico handed him the book.

* * *

**I hope you liked it **

**Remember to vote on the poll**

**See you later : )**


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